MANY MINDEDSouth Korea's agrivoltaics law expands solar farming access
South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) proposed a 2027 budget allocating KRW 1.8 trillion ($1.3 billion) for factory rooftop solar and agrivoltaics—double the 2026 funding. This follows the country’s first dedicated agrivoltaics law, effective December 2026, which permits temporary farmland use changes up to 23 years for farmers, tenant operators, and cooperatives. The law explicitly excludes nearly half of South Korea’s farmland from regulatory coverage, while counting only support structures as converted land. As of August 2026, industry tracking identified 29 agrivoltaics projects with 12.4 MW of planned capacity, though only 537 kW was verified operating and 1.3 MW was at installation stage. The most advanced project—a 1 MW cooperative installation in Anseong—began construction in July 2026.
This policy shift enables dual energy and food production on farmland through agrivoltaics, where solar panels coexist with crops. By permitting temporary use changes and prioritizing farmer-led models, the law targets rural energy access while preserving agricultural output. The Solar Income Villages program expansion to 2,200 villages under the 2027 budget further channels resources toward community-scale solar farming.
The move directly advances food security (SUSTENANCE) and clean energy (ENERGY) by making solar power more accessible on farmland—reducing energy costs for rural households while maintaining food production. However, the current scale remains small relative to the target, and the law’s exclusion of nearly half the farmland limits its reach. Next steps include finalizing the 2027 budget, implementing the agrivoltaics law, and verifying whether the 2026–2027 projects scale as projected. The source notes project data reflects August 2026 tracking and final government budgets may differ.
Source: pv magazine