Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 9:44 .

Czech Republic Introduces Groundbreaking Agrivoltaic Regulations to Boost Renewable Energy Sector

The context outlines the regulatory landscape and developments surrounding agrivoltaics in the Czech Republic, with reflections on similar efforts in Central and Eastern Europe. The need for decarbonization is driving these countries to explore renewable energy sources like solar power, integrating it into various settings including commercial rooftops and agricultural lands (agrivoltaics). In the Czech Republic, substantial progress has been made over three years of discussions involving key ministries. Agrivoltaic regulations have now been signed by the president but secondary regulations are still in development. Key points about these regulations include: 1. Land Use: Unlike conventional ground-mounted systems that require land removal from agricultural funds, agrivoltaics will not. 2. Zoning Adjustments: Agrivoltaic installations are considered as "buildings for agriculture," facilitating their placement within existing zoning plans. 3. Compliance with Rural Character: These installations must align with rural area aesthetics. Additional specifications pertain to technical parameters inspired by German DIN standards such as clear height requirements and row distances for crops under agrivoltaic setups. In financial terms, a special call for investment subsidies tailored towards agrivoltaics is anticipated by spring 2025 through modernization fund allocations. This initiative aims at mitigating higher CAPEX relative to traditional methods while promoting sustainable practices across fertile grounds and permanent grasslands in future expansions of regulation coverage.

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Speaker

Jiri Bim
Head of Agrivoltaic Section
Czech Solar Association
Czech Republic

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

Results of EU Call for Evidence and Agri-PV Potenbal in Europe

Speaker

Ignacio Asenjo
Policy Officer
European Commission
Belgium

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

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

To Talk