Subject of a few years ago, todayagrivoltaics is taking its place in the renewable energies sector. The law on the acceleration of renewable energy production (or APER law) of March 10, 2023. In this article, we decipher for you theparts of the decree published on April 8, 2024, relatives the development ofagrivoltaics and the conditions for setting up agrivoltaic installations.
A little background
Agrivoltaics: what are we talking about?
L'agrivoltaics is an activity that makes it possible meet the dual challenge of food and energy sovereignty by combining by combining significant agricultural production and solar-generated electricity on the same plot of land. First introduced in Japan in the 1980s, then imported to Europe and France almost 40 years later, agrivoltaics is now making a name for itself.
"Art. L. 31436.- I.- An agrivoltaic installation is an electricity production facility that uses the sun's radiative energy and whose modules are located on an agricultural parcel where they make a lasting contribution to the installation, maintenance or development of agricultural production."
On an agrivoltaic plot, the land retains its agricultural vocation. Photovoltaic panels are installed to provide services for crops and animals.
Why this law was so eagerly awaited
Since its inception, agrivoltaics has been seen as a real real opportunity to promote the agricultural and energy transitions through the benefits it brings. A clear and precise framework was therefore essential to avoid aberrations and alibi projects: the protection of agricultural activity is, and must remain, the primary objective of all agrivoltaic projects. At Ombrea, alongside the FFPAwe welcome the guarantees provided by this implementing decree.
An agrivoltaic project from A to Z, through the prism of the APER law
At Ombrea, it's clear that a great deal depends on project preparation (or "pre-project"), particularly the origination phases for targeting plots and development. These are the foundations that will define its success. This is why our :
- Qualify the right parcels: those to which we can provide a real service
- Characterize and design a suitable agrivoltaic project to respect existing farming activities
Pre-project: What services does an agrivoltaic plot provide?
Article 1 of Decree no. 2024-318 defines the central terms introduced by the definition of agrivoltaics in the APER law, including that of an agricultural plot or an active farmer. It also recalls the four services of which at least one must be provided by an agrivoltaic installation - and that no service may be degraded, with a few specified tolerances (substantial degradation for one service, or limited for two services).
At Ombrea, in order to assess the effects effects of the agrivoltaic project on agricultural production and serviceswe rely rely on our digital toolsdeveloped in-house, which enable us to simulate variations in indicators of interest on a plot equipped with an agrivoltaic system, compared with a reference area.
The core of the tool model the microclimate generated by an agrivoltaic structure as a function of its design (panel orientation, sizing) and based on climatic climatic parameters of a typical meteorological year at a selected geographical point.
In particular, the simulator can be used to model :
- The heat stress index for assessing the thermal comfort of farm animals,
- The spatio-temporal variation in irradiance for assessing plant growth conditions,
- The spatio-temporal variation in potential evapotranspirationalso for assessing plant growth conditions.
Pre-project: meeting the criteria for an agrivoltaic plot
The article goes on to define aspects inherent to any agrivoltaic project, which until now have lacked harmonization:
- First, the control zone. Located next to the agrivoltaic plot, it should enable us to compare the state of the crop under and without protection. It is essential for establishing a benchmark for calculating significant agricultural production and sustainable income. In concrete terms, the control zone must :
- Represent an area of at least 5% of the installed agrivoltaic surface, up to a limit of one hectare.
- Be located close to the agrivoltaic system
- Do not include any installation equipped with photovoltaic modules or any installation or tree bringingante shade
- Have equivalent pedoclimatic (or climatic) conditions and be cultivated under the same conditions as the agrivoltaic plot.
At Ombrea, we believe that setting up a test area eliminates the risk of an alibi project, because the benchmark it provides is indisputable. The test area enables us to evaluate the efficiency and relevance of the agrivoltaic installation, and will be useful for justifying compliance during the operational phase.
- Next, the coverage rate. This is the maximum projected surface area of photovoltaic modules on the plot under normal conditions of use. For projects over 10 MWp, the coverage rate must not exceed 40%.
Limiting the amount of cover, and therefore the amount of shade, can help prevent certain drifts, in the same way as the control zone. Crops need light at many crucial stages in their development, and an agrivoltaic plot must allow for this. There will, however, be exceptions to this 40% ceiling in a list of proven technologies, drawn up and based on analysis of existing sites by ADEME. It is essential that this coverage directly linked to agricultural constraints and the topology and plot topology (machinery, crop height, slope, etc.). It must be adapted to the crop in place, to ensure that it provides an agronomic service every time.
Finally, the article clarifies the conditions that guarantee the protection of agricultural activity as the main activity of the plot, and the conditions under which the establishment of a control zone is not necessary.
- Farming remains themain activity if :
- The non-developable area does not exceed 10% of the area covered by the agrivoltaic system.
- Panel height and row spacing inter-row properly integrate farm use (circulation and safety of animals or farm machinery)
An initial inspection of the equipped area and the control area will be carried out before commissioning, to ensure that the plot is in compliance.
Licensing and operation: commissioning and the life of a project
After this prephase, it's time to obtain the necessary authorizations. The decree specifies everything that must be included in the application for authorization:
Then comes the phase, when the preparatory work is put into practice and validated. faitduring the pre-project. Over the maximum 40 years of authorized operationeannual monitoring of agricultural and energy production will be carried out byADEME. A check on the criteria for an agrivoltaic project will also be carried out in the 6th year after commissioning and every 5, 3 or 1 year, depending on the coverage rate and the technology's proven track record..
Our pilot sites are already monitored by partner technical and scientific institutes. Since 2016, we have been testing our methodology to demonstrate its relevance and the services we provide to each of the plots. In particular, you can find the results observed on 4 of our sites (Le Channay and Valpuiseaux in field crops, Apt in arboriculture and Rians in viticulture) on our website.
Decommissioning and reversibility: the crucial end of a project
The dismantling stage of an agrivoltaic plant is part of the part an integral part the life of a project - which is why it is also defined and regulated by law. This stage must be carried out with respect for the plot of land, the biodiversity and the crop present, and with a view to preserving agricultural activity. These are the commitments we made at Ombrea, during the very first experimental dismantling of an agrivoltaic site carried out on our peony plot in Hyères (site carried out in collaboration with theAstredhor Méditerranée).
Compliance: where do we stand?
Thanks to the rigor we have imposed on ourselves since the outset, whether in the design of our demonstration sites or their scientific and agronomic follow-up (8 years of R&D feedback to date), we have already been able to integrate all the aspects addressed by the law into our activities. The publication of this decree now enables us to formalize and integrate all the requirements it mentions into our processes.
Thus, for each service provided (improving agronomic potential, adapting to climate change, protecting against hazards and improving animal welfare), we have defined a roadmap to ensure that all our current and future agrivoltaic projects meet these requirements:
- By studying the bibliography and drawing up a complete state-of-the-art report
- By consolidating and validating our simulation models in order to model the optimum synergies between agricultural protection and energy production, and thus the most relevant projects possible for farmers and their farms.
- And by collecting and analyzing all the feedback we've been able to gather from our demonstration sites throughout France over the past 8 years.
