You are on our BayWa r.e. France WebsiteChange websiteChange
CareersSolar Distribution

Agri-PV: Let’s cultivate solar energy together

Would you like to find out more about agrivoltaics? Find out all you need to know about our energy solutions for different types of agricultural production!

Agrivoltaics, or Agri-PV, is a method of combining agricultural production with energy production. It’s a unique way of creating beneficial synergies between agricultural activity and solar energy, on the same site.

As well as producing renewable energy, Agri-PV offers real solutions for adapting to climate change in agriculture.

Do you have a project in mind? Trust our team of experts, contact us!

Agrivoltaïsme

Our vision of Agri-PV at BayWa r.e.

Climate change is a reality for the 400,000+ farms in our country. Weather hazards are becoming increasingly frequent (spring frosts, hail, extreme temperatures), while resources are becoming scarce (like water) and expensive (particularly energy).

Younger generations no longer go into farming as a profession, with its unpredictable income and harsh working conditions. Yet more than a third of farms will be looking for a buyer by 2030. Renewal is not happening, which jeopardises our food sovereignty.

BayWa r.e., coming from an agricultural cooperative, is committed to offering solutions to the farming world to meet these new challenges. Agri-PV is one such solution.

By combining agricultural production and energy production on the same plot of land, reducing the amount of water needed, cutting dependence on fossil fuels, and securing a decent income for farmers, Agri-PV is part of France’s energy transition.

Would you like to find out more about the potential of your plot? Then get in touch with us!

To view this video, please accept AdmiralCloud in the cookie settings.

Our know-how

BayWa r.e. is involved throughout the lifespan of a project: development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance, repowering, decommissioning. This means that at every stage of project development and assessment, BayWa r.e. has the in-house capacity to design, analyse, build and operate solar farms.

Each project is supported by a dedicated, experienced team of project managers and a network of in-house experts (agronomics, environment, legal, consultation and communication, engineering, connection, and construction), to create a turnkey solar farm.

Setting up an agrivoltaic project does not require any financial investment on the part of the farmer, unless they wish to invest in the project company. The project is fully financed by BayWa r.e., with the owner and operator receiving rent in proportion to the output of the facility.

Site identification

Project development

1-2 years

Financing

Construction

6-9 months

Connection

Operation and maintenance

Dismantling or repowering

Our agri-PV solutions tailored to your needs

Gelsdorf
Barth
Interspace
Babberich
Greenberry

Our commitment to agricultural research

BayWa r.e. is a proud member of the Strategic Orientation Committee of the National Research, Innovation and Teaching Centre in Agriphotovoltaics, created by INRAE?

This consortium, which brings together players from the public and private sectors in agriculture, energy, research, and teaching aims to pool the costs and risks of research, while sharing the benefits of sustainable photovoltaic technology on agricultural land.

The SOLAR project

SOLAR is a two-year research and development project, conducted by BayWa r.e. in conjunction with INRAE (the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment) to study the impact of fixed solar panels on fodder grass growth. The aim is to observe fodder development on solar farms with different soil and climate conditions in order to determine compatibility with grazing.

In 2023, the results showed that the presence of the solar panels favoured weather conditions adapted to fodder development and richer nutrition:

  • During the summer, the soil temperature is 3 to 4°C lower and soil humidity 10% higher under the panels: these microclimatic conditions help to maintain green fodder, which encourages summer grazing.

  • Slightly lower overall yield: The annual yield of the plant is lower than that of open grassland. From a seasonal point of view, the conditions are more favourable in a meadow in spring for the development of grass, but during the summer period, thanks to the shadow cast between the rows of panels solar, the yield is better at the solar farm.

  • Improved fodder quality under panels: The proportion of nitrogen and minerals in the grass is higher under panels, with a tendency towards better digestibility. Between the rows of panels there was no noticeable difference with the control fodder.

  • Protection for herds: The summer weather conditions under the panels protect the grazing animals from the heat and, more generally, the rain. In particular, there are sleeping areas under solar panels.

Project COMPAS

In 2020, BayWa r.e. launched COMPAS, a research and development project on the compatibility of vegetable crop cultures and photovoltaic panels, in partnership with groups of AgroParisTech agricultural engineering students.

The idea is to study the impact of photovoltaic panels on various meteorological parameters using weather stations. These stations are located on three photovoltaic farms with three different climates (oceanic, continental and Mediterranean). Comparing the meteorological data with a control zone gives us a better understanding of the influence of solar panels on the weather parameters. Based on this work, a selection of the most suitable crops has been determined, enabling us to guide the development of our Agri-PV projects according to the needs of the crops.

Using this R&D project, our teams have been able to consolidate an agrivoltaic project in the commune of Montmorillon, Vienne, with several vegetables. This R&D project has guided us in the correct choice of crops and the adaptation of our structures to promote synergy between these two production types. Rigorous agronomic monitoring will be performed, enabling us to confirm our hypotheses and make improvements to our future projects.

Related topics

Do you have a livestock business?

Our agrivoltaic solutions tailored to your livestock farming activity to add value to your farm.

Do you have a livestock business?
Do you have an arable or winegrowing activity?

Our agrivoltaic shade solutions are tailored to your agricultural production to enhance the value of your land and meet the challenges of the weather.

Do you have an arable or winegrowing activity?
Do you grow crops or vegetables?

Our agrivoltaic inter-row tracker solutions to enhance the value of your arable farms.

Do you grow crops or vegetables?

BayWa r.e. is an Independent Power Producer (IPP). Our activities include the planning, development and construction of wind, solar, and battery storage systems (BESS), their operation and maintenance as well as energy trading. We are also a leading global supplier to the solar distribution market. BayWa r.e. has brought online over 6 GW of renewable energy and manages more than 10.5 GW of assets. Our shareholders are BayWa AG and Energy Infrastructure Partners.

© 2025 BayWa r.e. AG
Change website