United States

• Rapid Growth: By November 2024, the U.S. had nearly 600 agrivoltaic sites covering over 62,000 acres, generating more than 10,000 MW of electricity, up from fewer than 100 sites in 2020NREL.
• Funding & Grants:
  • The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the $8.2 million LASSO Prize (August 2024) to advance research on integrating solar with large livestock grazing.
  • Colorado awarded $500,000 in Agrivoltaics Research grants (September 2024) to fund six innovative projects combining food production and solar energy.
• Policy Restrictions:
  • Ontario, Canada (August 2024) banned ground-mounted solar on prime agricultural land to protect farmland.
  • Maine (December 2024) introduced new rules requiring solar developers to pay fees for installing systems on high-value agricultural land.

Europe

• France (July 5, 2024): Issued a national decree establishing strict criteria for agrivoltaic systems. Projects must preserve >90% agricultural activity and provide financial guarantees for panel removal.
• Czech Republic (May 2024): Amended agricultural protection laws (Act No. 183/2024) to legally define and permit agrivoltaics on designated croplands.
• Italy (May 2024): Implemented a full ban on new ground-mounted solar projects on agricultural land, a decision criticized by the solar industry for risking €60 billion in lost investment.

Asia & Oceania

• China:
  • Datang Yuxian (Hebei): A 150 MW agrivoltaic project (one of China's 2024 first batch of large-scale renewable bases) was grid-connected, growing traditional Chinese medicine, potatoes, and quinoa under panels新华网客户端.
  • Chongqing: Construction began on the 600 MW Jiangjin Longhua agrivoltaic project (December 2024), one of Chongqing's largest, with a total investment of ~2.4 billion yuan.
  • Hangzhou: The city's first large-scale tea-solar hybrid project (10.25 MW) was connected to the grid in December 2024, utilizing mountainous tea plantations.
• New Zealand (November 2024): Trina Solar, Kiwi Solar, and Trilect launched Waikato's first agrivoltaic farm (16 acres, 5.74 MW), combining solar power with sheep grazing.

Africa

• University of Sheffield Study (November 2024): Published research showing agrivoltaics in East Africa significantly boosted yields for maize, beans, and Swiss chard while reducing water evaporation by 20-30%.

Key Trends in 2024

1. Dual-Use Expansion: Projects increasingly combine solar with grazing livestock (sheep, cattle) and specialty crops (shade-loving vegetation, medicinal herbs).
2. Policy Polarization: Governments either regulated and supported agrivoltaics (France, Czech Republic, U.S.) or restricted it (Italy, parts of Canada/U.S.) to protect prime farmland.
3. Technological Focus: Bifacial panels, elevated mounting structures, and smart monitoring (AI, drones) were widely adopted to maximize both crop and energy output.