Trade association the Global Solar Council (GSC) has launched a task force that aims to accelerate the global deployment of agrivoltaics (agriPV).
Launched at this year’s Intersolar Europe event in Munich, Germany, the new AgriPV Task Force, which is chaired by solar PV solutions provider Nextpower, aims to bring together industry leaders from both solar and agriculture industries along with policymakers, researchers, developers and farmers to advance policies, share best practice and build foundations to scale the global agriPV market.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
The focus of the new agriPV task force will be to promote greater understanding of agriPV and its benefits; share global best practices and case studies; support policy and regulatory development; foster collaboration between solar and agricultural sectors; develop industry recommendations and thought leadership; and amplify voices of stakeholders across energy, agriculture, food and water systems.
In the coming months, the task force aims to develop key outputs, including policy recommendations, case studies, industry guidance and a position paper, ahead of COP31 this November in Turkey.
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the GSC, said: “It is essential that we scale up deployment and awareness of agriPV worldwide to have specific strategies for leveraging this innovative application of solar.
“But we must allow space for further innovation and R&D with wide definitions of agriPV in more regions of the world, especially in the Global South, to further test how to best optimise the twin power and farm output. NextPower is particularly well positioned to lead this piece of work worldwide given their pioneering experience in the agriPV space, and I very much look forward to working with them leading the work of this important task force.”
Moreover, the GSC AgriPV Task Force aims to position agriPV as a “critical pillar of the next phase of solar growth”, while bringing together expertise from both the solar and agriculture industries.
Deployment of agriPV globally could unlock an additional 10-14TW of solar PV capacity if just 1% of agricultural land were utilised, according to studies. A recent analysis from US trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) showed that solar PV uses only 0.07% of US farmland, while a study from Fraunhofer ISE last year forecast that Germany could install 500GW of new agriPV capacity.
According to the trade association, the potential of the sector is still widely untapped, with regulatory frameworks continuing to evolve, financing models still maturing and many projects remaining at the pilot stage. The task force aims to bridge these gaps and accelerate global responsible deployment of agriPV.
Phillip Kunze, chair of the GSC AgriPV Task Force and vice president of business development and sales, Europe, at Nextpower, said: “The question is no longer whether solar and agriculture can coexist on the same land but how to make that combination work as well as possible for both.”
“When designed and implemented well, with grid connections enabled, agriPV can help farmers diversify income, improve land productivity, and support long-term rural sustainability,” added Jonathan Scurlock, UK National Farmers Union representative.
“The creation of the GSC AgriPV Task Force is an important step in bringing together the agricultural and solar sectors to ensure that farmers are at the centre of this conversation and that the benefits of agriPV are realised responsibly and at scale.”
