Awaiting regulatory clarity, agrivoltaics in France enters a new phase. “We are finishing this round of administrative constraints and entering what I call the 2.0 era of agrivoltaics, because we already had experience, but now we have a definition. I am confident it will very soon become the largest segment of the photovoltaic business in France,” says Xavier Daval, CEO of kiloWattsol and France Agrivoltaïsme, in an interview with Strategic Energy Europe.

Daval estimates that starting in 2026, installation rates will reach between 1 and 2 GW per year, a figure that would make agrivoltaics the fastest-growing segment of the French solar market.

Regulation is unlocking new opportunities. France has a vast territory, with 52% of its surface classified as agricultural land. According to Daval, this is a key factor: “The law states that on agricultural land, photovoltaic systems can only be installed if they are agrivoltaic. And that’s more than half the country,” he emphasizes.

He notes that ground-mounted solar capacity in 2024 reached 1.6 GW, with 20%—or about 300 MW—coming from agrivoltaic projects.

“Until now, what had been implemented could not legally be called agrivoltaics because there was no formal definition,” explains Daval, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Solar Council. Under the new framework, all future projects must comply with specific criteria on coverage density, agricultural service delivery, and technological compatibility, establishing an official standard for this hybrid model of food and energy production.

From Parliament to practice: The regulatory challenge

One of the main obstacles has been the delay between the passing of the law and the enactment of its regulatory decrees. “In France, laws are passed by Parliament, but nothing can be implemented until government decrees are issued. And sometimes, that takes years,” Daval explains.

This delay slowed investments and froze project development. “As long as the decree wasn’t published, no one made decisions because it wasn’t clear how to apply the law. And without that, there was no implementation,” he adds. Now that the full regulatory package is in place, a wave of new initiatives is expected.

Investors take notice: Agrivoltaics as a doubly green asset

The growing pressure around ESG criteria and the demand for sustainable assets have turned agrivoltaics into an attractive destination for capital. “Today, investors are looking for projects that are doubly green: generating clean energy and also contributing to feeding the planet,” says Daval.

The interest is based on a multi-impact approach. The technology not only produces renewable electricity, but also helps reduce water stress, protect crops from extreme weather, and increase the resilience of the agricultural sector against climate change.

Agriculture and energy: Two worlds learning to talk

One of the biggest challenges is aligning the contrasting logics of the agricultural and solar sectors, which operate with very different economic and cultural perspectives.

France Agrivoltaïsme was created precisely to build bridges. The association is structured to ensure balanced representation from both sectors, encouraging equitable project development. “We created a space where both communities can speak, respect, and understand each other,” Daval points out.

This collaborative model is being mirrored internationally. “In Japan, colleagues told me the biggest challenge is how to fairly share value between the two sectors. And that’s a universal issue,” he says.

A strategic market, with scale and urgency

Agrivoltaic systems can shield crops from frost, hail, and excessive sunlight, while optimizing water use and producing the electricity that agriculture will increasingly require as it electrifies. “Tomorrow everything will be electric—pumps, tools. And farms will need on-site energy,” the expert predicts.

Daval’s view of the energy future is clear: “Solar will become the planet’s main energy source before 2060,” he states. Against that backdrop, agrivoltaics stands out as a scalable, adaptable format aligned with the world’s pressing food and energy security needs.

He concludes: “We have to ride the solar wave—not stop it. We must harness its power to transform the planet.”