How Germany, France and Japan regulate agrivoltaics, and what India can learn
Every country that has scaled agrivoltaics has had to answer one question: how do you stop a solar farm pretending to be a farm?
Key takeaways
- Germany's DIN SPEC 91434 (2021) requires at least 66% of reference crop yield and limits land lost to the structure.
- France's 2024 decree requires yield loss under 10%, generally caps panel coverage at 40%, and uses a control plot to check.
- Japan has allowed 'solar sharing' since 2013 on condition that yields stay above 80% of the local average, and is now tightening rules after abuses.
- India had 36 operational agri-PV projects totalling 37.54 MW as of August 2025, and no national definition or policy.
- A clear definition, a yield test and honest monitoring are the pieces India most needs.
Agrivoltaics has a credibility problem everywhere it grows. Land designated for farming is usually cheaper and easier to get permission for than industrial land. So the temptation is obvious: put up a solar plant, scatter a few plants underneath, and call it a farm.
The countries furthest ahead have each built rules to stop that. Looking at how they did it is the quickest way to see what India is missing.
Germany: a technical standard
Germany published DIN SPEC 91434 in 2021, a technical specification for agri-PV systems. Its main ideas:
- Yield test. The farm under the system must achieve at least 66% of the yield of a reference plot.
- Limited land loss. The area lost to posts, foundations and other structures is capped: 10% for elevated systems with more than 2.1 m clearance (Category I), and 15% for ground-level, interspace systems (Category II).
- A farming plan. Agricultural use has to be documented, not assumed.
The standard gave German regulators and funders a way to tell real agrivoltaics from solar plants on farmland.
France: a legal decree
France went further and wrote agrivoltaics into law. Decree No. 2024-318, published in April 2024, sets conditions including:
- Yield loss must be less than 10%, so production must reach at least 90% of a nearby control zone.
- Panel coverage is generally capped at 40% of the plot.
- The installation must not harm the soil's agricultural potential.
- Some protected agricultural areas are excluded.
French law frames agrivoltaics as solar that serves farming, for example by protecting crops from heat or hail, rather than farming that tolerates solar.
Japan: the longest track record
Japan began approving solar sharing in 2013. Projects get a temporary permit to convert farmland use, on condition that crop yields stay above 80% of the local average. By the end of fiscal 2023, 6,137 projects had been approved.
The lesson from Japan is what happens after the boom. A series of improper cases, including projects that didn't meet yield requirements, has led the government to tighten rules. Some operators warn stricter rules could shut out the genuine farms that use power income to invest in better agriculture.
Where India stands
India has a lot of agrivoltaic potential and very little of it built. According to TERI, as reported in Renewable Watch:
- India had 36 operational agri-PV projects totalling 37.54 MW as of August 2025.
- Technical potential is estimated at 1,192 to 2,129 GW.
- There is no nationally recognised definition or dedicated agri-PV policy. Projects run under broader schemes such as PM-KUSUM.
What India could borrow
| Idea | Germany | France | Japan | Useful for India? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal definition of agri-PV | Standard | Law | Permit system | Essential, to settle land-use and tax status |
| Minimum crop yield | 66% of reference | 90% of control | 80% of local average | Yes, set by crop and region |
| Coverage or land-loss cap | Land-loss cap | 40% coverage | Case by case | Yes |
| Control or reference plot | Reference plot | Control zone | Local average | Yes, cheap and practical |
| Periodic yield reporting | Required | Required | Required, now stricter | Yes, to avoid Japan's abuses |
Our own view, as growers: India should define agri-PV so land stays agricultural, require a simple yield check against a nearby plot, and make the data public. Without that, the label will get misused, and genuine projects will pay for it.
Further reading
- Agrivoltaics in India: can solar panels and crops share the same land?
- Which crops grow well under solar panels
- How to design an agrivoltaic system
Working on agri-PV policy or a project? We'd like to hear from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is DIN SPEC 91434?
A German technical specification for agri-photovoltaic systems, published in 2021. It requires at least 66% of a reference plot's crop yield and limits the land lost to the structure: 10% for elevated systems with more than 2.1 m clearance and 15% for ground-level systems.
What are France's rules for agrivoltaics?
Decree No. 2024-318 requires yield loss of less than 10% compared with a control zone, generally caps panel coverage at 40% of the plot, and requires that the installation does not harm the soil's agricultural potential.
What is solar sharing in Japan?
Japan's name for agrivoltaics. Since 2013, projects can get temporary permission to use farmland for solar if crop yields stay above 80% of the local average. More than 6,000 projects had been approved by the end of fiscal 2023, and rules are being tightened after improper cases.
Does India have an agrivoltaics policy?
Not a dedicated national one. According to TERI, India has no nationally recognised definition of agri-PV; projects run under broader schemes such as PM-KUSUM.
Sources
- pv magazine — France issues new rules for agrivoltaics (9 Apr 2024)
- Nippon.com — Japanese agrisolar projects at crossroads with tighter rules
- Renewable Watch — Exploring Agri-PV: Promise and potential in India (18 Jun 2026)
- Fraunhofer ISE — Agrophotovoltaics: high harvesting yield in hot summer of 2018
Dhruv Khanna
NTU Singapore alumnus. Recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2019) and Forbes India 30 Under 30 (2020) for Triton's work on water-efficient hydroponics.
About Dhruv Khanna
