21.05.2025
On May 19th, the Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) in Müncheberg hosted the first Agri-Photovoltaics Field Day. Researchers, farmers and representatives from industry, politics and associations came together to discuss the opportunities and challenges of combining crop production with solar energy generation on agricultural land.
In the introductory presentations, Prof. Dr. Klaus Müller (ZALF) outlined how Agri-PV can help to solve land use conflicts between agriculture and energy production. Jürgen Zimmer (DLR Rheinland-Pfalz) gave practical insights into the application of Agri-PV in fruit cultivation.
A panel discussion followed, addressing practical questions around Agri-PV: How can farmers implement their own PV projects? Which land types and crops are suitable for combined use? What trade-offs are required to produce electricity and crops at the same time - and what additional costs might be involved? What legal issues are currently facing communities, developers and farms? The panel consisted of Theresa Kärtner (German Farmers' Association), Ronald Knoche (REM TEC GmbH), Jürgen Zimmer (DLR Rheinland-Pfalz) and Jens Vollprecht (Becker Büttner Held law firm) and was moderated by Prof. Sonoko Bellingrath-Kimura (ZALF).
At the information desks, participants gained insights into ongoing research projects, including SynAgri-PV, different types of Agri-PV systems, and public acceptance studies. Fraunhofer ISE presented its database of existing Agri-PV installations. Interactive elements such as a survey and a digital Agri-PV simulator - based on the popular video game "Farming Simulator" - invited visitors to experience different system configurations first hand.
A highlight of the event was a guided tour of the new ZALF experimental site in Müncheberg. The experimental setup includes two tracking systems: a single-axis (2D) and a dual-axis (3D) Agri-PV system. With a total of 832 solar modules, the installation covers about 44 percent of the power requirements of the ZALF campus. The bifacial modules are capable of converting sunlight from both the front and back surfaces into electricity.
In addition to power generation, the ZALF research facility will focus on key scientific questions related to Agri-PV. Research teams will study the system's impact on microclimate conditions under the modules, soil quality, biodiversity, social acceptance, and economic viability. A digital twin of the facility will be developed to simulate light use and yield potential under different scenarios.
ZALF would like to thank all participants for the open dialogue and constructive discussions.
Funding:
ZALF's Agri-PV system was funded by the State of Brandenburg as part of the "Energy Resilience for Non-University Research Institutions" program and with funds from the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF).
Text disclaimer:
This text was created with the help of artificial intelligence. The text has been carefully reviewed and revised according to the AI regulations at ZALF.
