In 2023, China achieved a milestone in the agrivoltaics sector. With the simultaneous advancement of the “dual carbon” goals and national food security strategies, how to resolve the land-use conflict between new energy development and agriculture has become a focal point. In June 2023, China’s first project deeply integrating photovoltaic power generation with staple grain (rice) production successfully connected to the grid in Guangxi, offering a “Chinese solution” for sustainable land use on a global scale.

Breakthrough Innovation: Coexistence of Rice and Photovoltaics

In mid-June 2023, the first batch of modules of the new LED light‑supplementing power‑generating and grain‑protecting PV project in Luancheng Town, Hengzhou City, Nanning, owned by CHN Energy Guangxi Company, was successfully connected to the grid.

The project has a total installed capacity of 30.16 MW and covers about 500 mu (approx. 33.3 hectares). Unlike traditional “PV + dryland crops” or “PV + aquaculture”, this project, based on the conversion of dryland, for the first time achieved large‑scale cultivation of a staple grain – rice – which requires ample water and high light intensity.

The core technology lies in “light supplementation”. Since PV panels reduce direct sunlight reaching the ground, which can affect rice photosynthesis and yield, CHN Energy partnered with Nanjing Agricultural University to introduce an intelligent LED light‑supplementation system. Using spectral analysis and sensor technology, the system accurately supplies diffused light based on field light intensity and rice growth stages, overcoming the technical difficulty of yield reduction under PV panels.

Validation of Success: Higher Yield and Water Savings

In fact, the success of this project did not happen overnight. As early as November 2022, the first rice harvest from the test field proved the feasibility of the “PV + LED light supplementation” approach.

The 2023 grid connection marked the transition of this technology from the experimental stage to commercial operation. Data show that the project is expected to generate an average of 31.1059 million kWh annually, saving about 10,000 tonnes of standard coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by about 26,000 tonnes per year.

Moreover, the shading effect of the PV panels lowers ground surface temperature and reduces water evaporation, creating a microclimate more favorable for rice growth, reducing irrigation water to some extent, and improving agricultural drought resilience.

Industry Trend: “Agriculture First” from a Global Perspective

The success of the Hengzhou project is not an isolated case. In 2023, the global agrivoltaics industry shifted from a “generation‑first” mindset to one of “agriculture first, generation enabling.”

At the “Agrivoltaics2023” industry conference held in late November 2023 in Strasbourg, France, developers, research institutions, and agricultural associations from Europe sent a strong message: agricultural production must take center stage in agrivoltaic projects. Experts noted that the industry needs to change its mindset, moving from simply optimizing power generation to accommodating the needs of farmers.

This philosophy was reflected in several large‑scale projects in 2023:

Saline‑Alkali Land Improvement (Inner Mongolia, China): In November 2023, the nation’s first “saline‑alkali land improvement + agrivoltaics” demonstration project was connected to the grid in Bayannur City. By building a PV power station on 5,981 mu (approx. 399 hectares) of land and improving the soil through technical means, the project turned barren saline‑alkali land into fertile farmland – “generating power above, growing crops below” – achieving both ecological restoration and energy production.

High‑Value Crops & Financing Innovation (USA/Spain): In the United States, BlueWave secured USD 91 million in financing to build five agrivoltaic projects in Massachusetts, focusing on high‑value cash crops such as strawberries and tomatoes. In Spain, BayWa r.e. completed Europe’s first corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) in the agrivoltaic field, deeply bundling the returns from solar power generation and agricultural cultivation on the same land.