1. Policies and Standards: Guiding the Balance Between “Solar” and “Agriculture”

In 2024, China made significant progress in establishing standards for agrivoltaics. The National Energy Administration issued the 2024 Energy Sector Standards Development and Revision Plan, which included the “Technical Specification for Agricultural Greenhouse PV Utilization”, led by the Haining Product Quality Inspection Institute (National Solar Testing Center) as the primary drafting unit. The standard, developed with participation from companies such as Astronergy and the National Academy of Sciences, aims to address common problems in current agrivoltaic projects—such as “solar without agriculture”, damage to the plow layer, and interference with agricultural production—by refining technical requirements for electrical safety, design, and lighting based on actual agricultural needs.

At the regional level, the Zhejiang Provincial Energy Administration issued the “Common Prosperity PV Agriculture Enhancement Project” Innovative Leadership Work Plan in May 2024, defining six innovative “PV+” models: PV + protected cultivation, PV + tea/medicinal/fruit/forest plantations, PV + protected livestock farming, PV + protected fisheries, PV + ecological restoration, and PV + whole‑village promotion. The plan emphasizes using PV technology to enhance agricultural productivity and economic returns, positioning it as a key driver for upgrading protected agriculture and a vital measure for stabilizing farmer incomes and developing village collective economies.

2. Technological Innovation: Key Breakthroughs to Resolve the “Land‑Use” Dilemma

Spectral Separation Technology Becomes a Focus

The competition for sunlight between PV panels and crops is a core challenge constraining agrivoltaics development. Research in 2024 indicated that spectral separation technology could fundamentally solve this problem. The principle involves selectively using specific wavelengths of sunlight—transmitting the red light (around 630 nm) needed for photosynthesis to the crops while reflecting other wavelengths to high‑efficiency PV cells. A study in Vietnam developed a red‑light spectral separation concentrating agrivoltaic system (RSSCA) that achieved a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 31.2%, generated 3‑5 times more electricity than conventional PV in tropical regions such as Ho Chi Minh City, while still ensuring sufficient light for rice cultivation.

Vertical Bifacial PV Gains Traction

Research from IIT Bhilai in India showed that east‑west facing vertical bifacial PV modules (VBPV) produce two generation peaks (morning and afternoon), better matching grid load patterns. A study in Gran Canaria, Spain, also confirmed that vertical bifacial PV configurations applied to potato fields offer good economic and environmental benefits, while reducing the impact on crop yields.

Flexible Mounts and High‑Clearance Designs

The Zhongdian Dabieshan 1 GW agrivoltaics project in Macheng, Hubei Province, adopted a 3‑meter clearance between PV panels and the ground, ensuring safe passage for agricultural machinery and providing effective space for crop cultivation. Such high‑clearance designs allow large farm equipment to operate freely beneath the panels, truly enabling mechanized and large‑scale agricultural production.

3. Domestic Project Practice: From “Idle Wasteland” to “Productive Land”

Macheng, Hubei: 10,000 mu Agrivoltaics, Average Annual Household Income Increase of RMB 12,000

The Zhongdian Dabieshan agrivoltaics project in Macheng, Hubei Province, was one of the first 1 GW demonstration projects in Hubei to start construction and achieve grid connection. In 2024, its power generation revenue exceeded RMB 100 million, with tax contributions exceeding RMB 10 million. The project consolidated 12,200 mu (about 813 hectares) of hillside and wasteland, cultivating nearly 2,500 mu of drought‑resistant crops such as watermelon, sweet potato, wheat, and peanuts, and planting 900 mu of medicinal herbs such as cassia seed beneath the panels, achieving an average output value of over RMB 1,000 per mu.

The project adopts a “company + …” model, integrating modern agriculture with solar power generation. The high‑clearance design not only accommodates agricultural machinery but also creates favorable micro‑climatic conditions—the shade from the panels reduces soil evaporation and moderates temperature extremes, benefiting crop growth. Local farmers benefit from land lease income, wages from working in the project, and a share of agricultural profits, with the average annual income increase per household reaching RMB 12,000.