Japanese Government Considering Tighter Regulations for Agrivoltaics

This year marks 10 years since the introduction of the agrivoltaics in Japan. An estimated more than 5,000 power plants have been introduced, but at the same time, the number of cases of improper farming under PV is increasing.

Power generation facilities without adequate agriculture

According to MAFF statistics, there are 335 operating agrivoltaics in Japan with insufficient agricultural production. In more than half of them, the yield is between 0 and 20% or less.

To solve this problem, MAFF and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) each established a study group.

MAFF's study group heard reports from local government officials, which revealed cases of low agricultural productivity and the actions of businesses attempting to conduct power generation projects even in situations that violate the Agricultural Land Law.

Why are these problems occurring? Local government officials point out that the problem lies in the fact that the operation of FarmingPV is not prescribed by law, but rather by administrative notice.

Japan's Special Zones for Structural Reform Act, enacted in April 2023, eased restrictions on the acquisition of farmland by corporations, but prohibited the introduction of agrivoltaics when using this system.

In light of this situation, some agricultural groups have argued that the locations where agrivoltaics can be installed should be more severely restricted, and future regulatory discussions will need to be closely monitored.