Renewable Energy Institute published the English version of the report “Revitalizing Agriculture with Solar Sharing: Agri-PV Contributing to Local Prosperity” (originally published in Japanese on 11 March).
Agricultural land accounts for approximately 12% of Japan's land area. The amount of abandoned farmland that is not being used for crop cultivation is expanding nationwide and has already reached nearly 10% of the farmland. With the aging of the agricultural workforce, abandoned farmland is expected to increase even further in the future. This continued situation could lead to the deterioration of local communities, and it is urgent to take fundamental measures to address this issue. One method to revitalize agriculture is “Solar sharing” or “Agri-PV (photovoltaics)” by implementing solar power generation on farmland. This involves installing solar panels on top of farmland and cultivating crops underneath them.
We selected successful projects for solar sharing across the country. A typical example is seen in Sosa City in Chiba Prefecture, where solar sharing is already being implemented on 40 farmlands. In addition, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, various types of crops are being cultivated in ways that leverage regional resources. Pioneering businesses are working to improve the quality of crops grown under solar panels, developing new business models, collaborating with local communities, and innovating ways to install solar power generation equipment suitable for crop cultivation. Under global warming, solar sharing has the benefit to block direct sunlight in summer by solar panels, helping to prevent crops from sunburn.
This report summarizes four key measures for revitalizing agriculture through solar sharing, based on on-site research of projects in Sosa City and 13 other locations, and identifies the major issues to solve for future expansion. Solar sharing not only promotes decarbonization with solar power but also plays a crucial role in reviving the shrinking agriculture. It serves as an effective means to achieve regional revitalization by leveraging renewable energy.
<Table of Contents>
Chapter 1: Projects focusing on agriculture than power generation
- Led by citizens to roll out across 40 sites
- Key factors for expanding solar sharing
- Future development plans and key challenges
Chapter 2: Shrinking scale of agriculture, Increase in solar sharing
- Current state and challenges of agriculture in Japan
- Temporary conversion of farmland for solar sharing
- Enormous Potential for Installation
Chapter 3: Effective Measures Implemented in Leading Projects
- Measure 1: Increase the value of crops
- Measure 2: Create a sustainable agricultural model
- Measure 3: Collaborate with local communities to increase new farmers
- Measure 4: Develop power generation suitable for agricultural land
Chapter 4: Issues and Recommendations for Expanding Solar Sharing
- Issue 1: Regional differences in temporary conversion permits
- Issue 2: Lack of sharing of empirical data and know-how
- Issue 3: Lack of government promotion measures
