Restoring resilience in French farming through agrivoltaics
The Woëvre Valley in eastern France is a demanding agricultural region. With a continental climate and heavy clay soils, farming here requires intensive land preparation and powerful machinery. That also means high fuel use and rising operational costs.
For Antonin Pelsy, farming is both a profession and a family legacy. After completing his agricultural training, he took over his grandfather’s farm, determined to preserve the family heritage.
His grandfather had once run a mixed farm with both crops and dairy cattle. But after foot-and-mouth disease devastated the herd in 1964, the farm shifted entirely to arable production. The land was drained and converted to crops such as barley, rapeseed, wheat and some maize. For decades, that strategy worked well, supported by fertile soils, strong yields, relatively low input costs and favourable crop prices.
Over the last fifteen years, however, the situation has become more difficult. Soil quality has declined as organic matter levels have fallen, making the land more vulnerable to both excess rainfall and drought. Yields have become far less predictable. At the same time, the cost of fuel and gas has increased, pushing up input costs, while grain prices have not kept pace due to global market oversupply.
For farms like Antonin’s, that creates a difficult economic reality. Investment is still needed every year, but margins are under pressure. In some seasons, crops are planted without delivering a harvest. The result is a cycle that can quickly become financially unsustainable.
Why agrivoltaics became part of the solution
Antonin first heard about agrivoltaics four years ago. Initially, he was sceptical. In his view, it made more sense to keep all agricultural land dedicated to food production. At that time, he did not yet see the wider services agrivoltaic systems could provide.
His perspective changed over time. He realised that much of his rapeseed was being used for biofuel production, while wheat had become increasingly difficult to sell at a fair price. Although a significant share of French wheat is exported, producing for export has become less attractive because of high production costs.
That led Antonin to reconsider the structure of the farm. He decided to move back towards mixed farming, reintroducing livestock alongside crops, much like his grandfather had done. The goal is clear: improve soil quality, bring organic inputs back into the farming system and diversify production.
In that transition, agrivoltaics plays a practical role. The photovoltaic panels will help protect both livestock and crops, while also creating the financial conditions needed to invest in bringing cattle back to the farm.
A collective agrivoltaic project in the Meuse region
Antonin did not pursue the project alone. After discussing the idea locally, he brought together eight other farmers who were prepared to pool resources and invest collectively.
For the photovoltaic installation, the group selected Novar as project developer. Novar proposed motorised bifacial solar panels with 30% coverage, a system designed to balance agricultural use with renewable energy generation.
The panels will be installed 2.4 metres above the ground. This gives animals enough room to move freely and access shade depending on the season.
Long-term agricultural resilience beyond financial returns
According to Sonia Kozlovski at Novar, Antonin’s example and the collective structure behind the project are particularly relevant. The project brings several farmers together in a shared agrivoltaic approach and supports an ambitious effort to redevelop livestock farming in the Meuse department.
This matters because the challenges faced by farmers are not only economic. Agrivoltaics can help create the conditions for long-term agricultural resilience. That includes enabling farmers to diversify practices, improve technical capabilities, protect crops and animals, and strengthen ecological dynamics on agricultural land.
There are also direct financial benefits. In addition to an annual compensation payment for site maintenance and monitoring, participating farmers will receive financial support for agricultural adaptation. This support can help fund livestock buildings, feeding equipment and grassland improvements.
The annual compensation is split equally between the landowner and the farm operator. The amount depends on the installed capacity of the solar project on the plot, measured in megawatts.
Agrivoltaics under the French APER law
As Sonia Kozlovski points out, the French APER law sets a clear framework for agrivoltaic development. It states that there must be no conflict of land use and that the preservation of agricultural land is essential.
This is why changes in farm yields and agricultural income are closely monitored, both during the permitting phase and throughout the operating life of the installation. The objective is to verify that agricultural yields remain stable.
“Agriculture must remain the primary activity, and the solar plant the secondary one,”
In Antonin’s case, the project also addresses a broader regional challenge: bringing livestock farming back to the Meuse area and helping rebuild the local rural economy.
How the agrivoltaic system will work
The installed panels will track the sun along a north-south axis. When fully open, they will cover 30% of the affected field area. They can also move into a retracted position when needed, for example during sowing periods.
Under the APER framework, agrivoltaic systems are expected to provide concrete agricultural services. In Antonin Pelsy’s case, the photovoltaic panels will help mitigate climate-related stress while also supporting animal welfare by providing shade in grazing areas.
In an agricultural sector under growing pressure, this kind of agrivoltaic project shows how new models can help keep farms viable over the long term.