I. Definition of Agrosolar (agri-PV, agrovoltaics) power plants
Considering the definition of agrotechnical measures in the Regulation on Agrotechnical Measures (OG 22/2019), Article 2, Paragraph 1, which states:
Agrotechnical measures represent a set of mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological interventions in and on agricultural land with the aim of increasing or maintaining the current soil fertility and ensuring appropriate management of organic carbon content to prevent or reduce soil and land degradation, thereby ensuring food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, improved soil quality, reduced erosion, increased water retention capacity, and enhanced drought resistance, while maintaining or increasing the soil’s suitability value through the implementation of agrotechnical measures.
The introduction of agrovoltaics systems into existing agricultural production represents an agrotechnical measure derived from professional and scientific-technical conclusions that indicate positive effects on all the aforementioned parameters of agricultural production. As such, the agrotechnical measure of agrovoltaics power plants ensures the preservation of primary agricultural production on specific agricultural land listed in the ARKOD record and promotes the conversion of unused agricultural areas into productive ones. Based on the above, such a system can be defined as follows:
Agrosolar power plants represent an agrotechnical measure that involves the implementation of solar systems on existing agricultural land listed in the ARKOD record with the aim of preserving and/or improving the agroecological conditions of the soil and increasing the overall economic potential of the agricultural farm by utilizing renewable energy sources while maintaining agricultural production as the primary activity.
II. Conditions for the Implementation of Agrovoltaics Power Plants
Agrosolar power plants can be utilized on agricultural farms once the specified conditions are met. These conditions encompass the management structure of agrovoltaics systems, the possibility of establishing secondary electricity production activities, the primary land use, and soil monitoring.
The management structure of the user
Agrosolar power plants, as an agrotechnical measure, are implemented by the user of agricultural land. The user is considered to be the landowner or lessee of agricultural land engaged in agricultural production as the primary activity, either independently or in partnership with another legal and/or natural person. In the case of independent implementation, the landowner or lessee must meet all the conditions outlined below, while in the case of partnership implementation, the landowner or lessee must fulfill conditions 3 and 4, while the partner must fulfill condition 2, as mutually agreed upon in their internal agreement. The user of agricultural land is responsible for complying with all the conditions throughout the entire implementation period.
Possibility of establishing secondary electricity production activities
Agrosolar power plants, as an agrotechnical measure, can be applied provided that there is spatial availability and sufficient free capacity in the transmission system of the energy grid to accommodate and distribute the projected amount of energy. Otherwise, the secondary activity of electricity production will only be possible if the generated electricity is used for self-consumption and/or storage, with or without connection to the grid. Self-consumption and/or storage of the produced electricity encompasses consumer systems of appropriate capacity within the management structure of the user.
Primary agricultural land use
Agrosolar power plants can be implemented on agricultural land that is classified in the land cadastre as meadows, pastures, orchards, olive groves, or vineyards, and registered in the ARKOD record as meadow, pasture, karst pasture, vineyard, olive grove, orchard, short-rotation crops, nursery, or mixed perennial crops. Throughout the implementation period, the user is obliged to obtain a certificate from the Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development (APPRRR) confirming the use of the land through the ARKOD system once a year.
Continuous monitoring
Continuous monitoring involves monitoring the condition of the agricultural land and monitoring the state of agricultural production.
The agrotechnical measure of agrovoltaics power plants can be applied after the user, at their own expense, ensures and contracts the continuous monitoring of the agricultural land, which includes monitoring the state of all changes in the agricultural land or soil (physical, chemical, and biological) in accordance with the regulations on the methodology for monitoring the state of agricultural land. The monitoring of the agricultural land’s condition (soil fertility testing) is performed by a reference or authorized laboratory at least once a year, in accordance with the Regulation on the Methodology for Monitoring the State of Agricultural Land (OG 47/2019).
The agrotechnical measure of agrovoltaics power plants can be implemented after the continuous monitoring of agricultural production is ensured and contracted. The monitoring of agricultural production is carried out by a reference or authorized laboratory at least once a year.
After collecting the monitoring results, the user is obliged to engage an independent company at least once a year for verification, testing, and certification purposes in order to prepare an annual report on agricultural production.
III. Suspension of the Right to Agrotechnical Measure
The user is obligated to comply with the above-mentioned conditions throughout the entire implementation period of the measure. In the event of non-compliance with one or more conditions, except in the case of natural disasters, the user loses the right to apply the agrotechnical measure for the remaining designated period and must remove the agrosolar system at their own expense.
