Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe 2024 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 12:36 .

European Commission Targets Agri-Solar and Innovative Solar Deployment to Achieve Ambitious Renewable Energy Goals by 2030

Ignacio Senho from the European Commission's Director General for Energy discusses the organization's ambitious renewable energy targets and their specific focus on solar deployment, particularly agri-solar. By 2030, they aim to achieve a 42.5-45% renewable share in the energy system, up from the current 23%, requiring substantial growth in solar capacity to at least 700-730 gigawatts. Agri-solar is highlighted as a crucial component of innovative solar deployment forms alongside floating solar, infrastructure-integrated solar, building-integrated solar (BIPV), and vehicle-integrated solar (VIPV). The Commission has identified regulatory barriers hindering these technologies' implementation through industry feedback and targeted studies. For agri-solar specifically, utilizing just 1% of EU agricultural land could yield up to one terawatt of electricity. Key challenges include establishing clear definitions across member states ensuring agriculture remains primary land use when deploying PV systems. Definitions aid in creating consistent regulations within sectorial legislation like construction laws essential for facilitating widespread adoption without compromising agricultural integrity.

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Speaker

Ignacio Asenjo
Policy Officer
European Commission
Belgium

Talk of session: Agricultural PV: How to Tap into Europe's Huge Potential for Solar Power in Agriculture

Several European countries have implemented their first agricultural PV projects and policymakers are starting to recognize the benefits of this technology. Governments have been adopting regulatory frameworks that enable both food and power production. Agricultural PV has positive effects on biodiversity and nature, as well as revenues. But is the business case for agricultural PV really compelling enough for farmers to adopt it at a large scale? This session will discuss: Latest projects and regulatory changes in various European agricultural PV markets Business models integrating ‘Nature Based Solutions' from pilot projects to utility-scale agricultural PV power plants Why biodiversity is turning into a hot topic in agricultural PV Fireside chat: How to convince food farmers to adopt solar farming.

Further Talks of this session:

Welcome & Introduction

Speaker

Eva Vandest
Head of Public Affairs
Amarenco
Austria

To Talk

Business Models of Agri PV & How It Benefits Farmers Models

Speaker

Emilien Simonot
Head of Agrivoltaics EMEA and APAC
Lightsource bp
UK

To Talk

How Biodiversity and Soil Are Turning Into a Hot Topic for Agri-PV

Speaker

Stephan Schindele
Head of Product Management Agri-PV
BayWa r.e. AG
Germany

To Talk

Challenges and Success Factors in the Development and Implementation of Utility-Scale Agri-PV Projects in Germany

Speaker

Fabian Neu
Senior Expert Agri-PV
RWE Renewables Europe & Australia GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Why Eastern & Central Europe Governments Implement Supportive Policy Frameworks for Agri-PV Targets

Speaker

Jiri Bim
Head of Agrivoltaic Section
Czech Solar Association
Czech Republic

To Talk

Panel Discussion: How to Convince Food Famers to Become Solar Farmers as Well on a Large Scale?

To Talk