Agrivoltaics and solar trackers: planning energy around farming
Explore how agricultural use, tracker movement, machinery access and electricity demand fit together in an agrivoltaic project.
Agrivoltaics combines agricultural production and photovoltaic electricity generation on the same land. A solar tracker may form part of that design, but an elevated structure alone does not establish that a project qualifies as agrivoltaic.
Start with the agricultural activity
Describe the crops, livestock, equipment and working calendar that the land must support. The agricultural function is a design input, not a use to add after the PV layout has been selected.
Different jurisdictions apply different definitions and assessment criteria. Confirm the classification and permission requirements locally before relying on a particular support mechanism.
For background, see the Fraunhofer ISE explanation of agrivoltaic concepts.
Account for movement and changing shade
A tracker changes module position throughout the day. Shadow patterns, clearances and accessible areas therefore change too. Review the full operating envelope and the prescribed safety positions.
Effects on crops or animals depend on the specific design and conditions. Movement alone does not establish better crop yields or animal welfare.
Machinery and livestock have different needs
Machinery requires adequate width, height, turning space and safe separation. Livestock projects also need protected cables, appropriate fencing and practical access for care and inspection.
No single structure height solves every situation. Check actual equipment and animal requirements against the approved layout in relevant tracker positions.
Match solar generation to farm demand
Cooling, ventilation, pumping, grain drying and processing can have very different schedules. Use time-resolved consumption data and include seasonal variations. Model planned new equipment separately from measured demand.
Value electricity consumed on site separately from surplus production. Include connection, maintenance and land-management costs in the study.
Where Terra fits
Terra is Falco’s elevated tracker family for agricultural applications. Product suitability and the legal classification of the project must each be confirmed. The French farm case study illustrates one application without establishing permissions or performance elsewhere.
Prepare a site plan and agricultural description before requesting the appropriate configuration.
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