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As Thailand strides toward its 2050 carbon neutrality goal, innovative solutions are essential to balance energy demands, food security, and climate resilience. Enter agrivoltaics—a dual-use approach that integrates solar panels with agricultural activities. This blog explores how Thailand can harness agrivoltaics to transform its energy and agricultural sectors, drawing insights from a recent study by the project CASE and School of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (SGtech), Naresuan University.

What is Agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics combines solar energy generation with crop cultivation or livestock farming on the same land. By installing solar panels above or between crops, this system optimises land use, reduces water evaporation, and creates microclimates that benefit shade-tolerant plants. For Thailand—a nation with abundant sunlight and a strong agricultural base—agrivoltaics offers a pathway to sustainable development.

Why Agrivoltaics Matters for Thailand?

Economic Empowerment for Farmers

- Farmers gain additional income through solar energy sales or reduced electricity costs.

- Leasing land for solar installations provides financial stability, especially in regions with low agricultural yields.

Climate Resilience

- Solar panels mitigate heat stress on crops, conserve soil moisture, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

- Supports Thailand’s pledge to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2065.

Land Efficiency

- Addresses land scarcity by enabling simultaneous food and energy production. Countries like Germany and Japan allocate 60-70% of agrivoltaic land to agriculture.

Rural Development

- Enhances infrastructure, promotes eco-tourism, and fosters innovation through farmer-academia-industry collaboration.

Thailand’s Policy Landscape: Opportunities and Gaps

While Thailand has policies supporting renewable energy (e.g., the Alternative Energy Development Plan) and sustainable agriculture, agrivoltaics lacks a dedicated regulatory framework. Key challenges include:

- Land Use Conflicts: Agricultural land zoning prohibits non-farming activities without permits.

- Grid Connectivity: Farmers face bureaucratic hurdles to sell surplus solar energy.

- Technical Knowledge: Limited awareness among farmers about agrivoltaics design and crop compatibility.

Global Success Stories: Lessons for Thailand

1. China: Scaling Agrivoltaics on Degraded Land

The 200 MW Jiangshan Agrivoltaic Park in Zhejiang Province combines solar panels with shade-tolerant herbs (e.g., Dendrobium orchids) and livestock zones. The project restored degraded, erosion-prone land while generating clean energy for 113,000 households.

Key Policies:

- Subsidies for solar projects on marginal or underutilised land.

- Integration of agrivoltaics into the 13th Five-Year Plan to maximise land efficiency.

Outcome: 90% vegetation cover reduced soil erosion, and farmers earned dual income from crops and energy sales.

Adaptation Tip: Thailand could replicate this model in its northeastern drought-prone regions, pairing solar with drought-resistant crops like moringa or medicinal herbs.

2. France: Balancing Energy and Agriculture with Strict Standards

French startups like Sun’Agri use dynamic solar panels that tilt to optimise light for crops. A vineyard in southern France reported a 12% increase in grape quality under panels due to reduced heat stress.

Key Policies:

- Decree No. 2024-318: Caps solar coverage at 40% of agricultural land and mandates <10% crop yield loss.

- Feed-in tariffs for small-scale projects (<500 kW).

Outcome: Over 300 agrivoltaic farms operate nationwide, with 1.2 GW installed capacity.

Adaptation Tip: Thailand could adopt dynamic panel technology for high-value crops like durian or mangosteen.

3. Italy: Agri-PV Meets High-Value Crops

The 70 MW Pontinia Solar Farm in Lazio integrates bifacial solar panels with olive groves and saffron cultivation. The project allocates 65% of land to agriculture while powering 47,000 homes.

Key Policies:

- National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR): €1.1 billion allocated for agrivoltaics, covering 40% of project costs.

- Requires 70% of land to remain agricultural.

Outcome: Improved soil health and a 30% rise in saffron yields due to partial shading.

Adaptation Tip: Thailand’s orchards (e.g., lychee, longan) could benefit from similar partial-shade systems.

4. South Korea: Overcoming Land-Use Barriers

Pilot projects like the Rockport Blueberry Farm in Maine (USA collaboration) use elevated solar panels to grow blueberries, reducing water use by 20%.

Key Policies:

- Dual-Use Solar Energy Act: Allows temporary solar installations on agricultural land for up to 23 years.

- Exemptions for projects on saline or low-yield farmland.

Outcome: Farmers earn 3x more from energy sales than traditional farming.

Adaptation Tip: Thailand’s coastal salt farms could adopt similar models for solar-salt production synergy.

5. India: Community-Driven Agrivoltaics

The PM-KUSUM Scheme supports 10 GW of solar capacity on farmland, with panels elevated to allow crop growth underneath. In Gujarat, farmers grow turmeric and spinach under solar arrays.

Key Policies:

- Subsidies for solar pumps and grid-connected systems.

- Land conversion waivers for projects in arid regions.

Outcome: 40% reduction in irrigation costs and 25% higher crop yields.

Adaptation Tip: Thailand’s rice paddies could integrate solar panels during non-growing seasons to maximise land use.

Why These Models Matter for Thailand

Each success story underscores a critical lesson:

Flexibility: Agrivoltaics must adapt to local crops, climate, and land types.

Policy Clarity: Clear regulations on land use, energy sales, and farmer incentives are non-negotiable.

Community Buy-In: Farmers and rural communities must be central to project design and benefits.

By blending these global insights with Thailand’s agricultural strengths, the country can pioneer a tropical agrivoltaics model that boosts food security, cuts emissions, and empowers rural economies.

Policy Recommendations for Thailand

Cross-Sector Collaboration: Establish a multi-ministry taskforce (Energy, Agriculture, Environment) to streamline regulations.

Financial Incentives: Subsidise solar installations for farmers; introduce feed-in tariffs for agrivoltaics energy.

Land Zoning Reforms: Create a new land-use category for agrivoltaics, permitting dual-purpose activities.

Capacity Building: Train farmers in agrivoltaics best practices through university partnerships.

Pilot Projects: Launch demonstration farms in drought-prone regions (e.g., Northeast Thailand) to test crop-solar synergies.

The Road Ahead

Unlocking Thailand’s agrivoltaics potential requires proactive policies, strong stakeholder collaboration, and increased public awareness. By drawing insights from global leaders and adapting them to local contexts, Thailand has the opportunity to lead the region in sustainable energy and agriculture.

Policymakers: Integrate agrivoltaics into national energy and agricultural strategies.

Investors: Support pilot projects and invest in R&D for agrivoltaics systems suited to tropical climates.

Academics: Conduct research on crop-specific solar panel configurations and assess their impacts on local climate conditions.

*This blog was originally published on the website for the project Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE)

Thailand’s ambitious commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065 underscores the nation’s urgent need to expand its renewable energy (RE) capacity. Rooftop solar PV systems represent a promising solution to diversify Thailand’s energy mix and empower consumers to participate in the energy transition. Despite its vast solar potential and declining technology costs, the adoption of rooftop solar remains significantly underutilized due to various barriers. At CASE, we’ve carefully analysed the challenges holding back rooftop solar in Thailand and crafted a strategic roadmap to help unlock its full potential.

The Untapped Potential of Rooftop Solar

Thailand boasts a technical solar potential exceeding 300 GW, yet less than 2% of its land area is needed to achieve this. By 2037, the market potential for rooftop solar PV energy is projected at 9,000 MW. However, as of 2022, only 1,800 MW of rooftop solar PV capacity has been installed, representing a small fraction of this potential. With electricity costs reaching grid parity and technology advancements making solar PV more efficient and affordable, the opportunity to harness rooftop solar as a key renewable energy source has never been greater.

Key Barriers to Investment

Our research has uncovered eight key risks that are slowing down investments in rooftop solar PV systems.

1. Administrative and Permitting Risks: A complex and time-consuming permitting process involving multiple agencies results in high costs and inefficiencies. For installations exceeding 1 MW, additional factory operation permits are required, further complicating the process.

2. Power Market Risks: Inconsistent policy frameworks, low buyback rates under net-billing schemes, and a lack of long-term incentives hinder investor confidence and consumer adoption. Policies allowing only self-consumption and prohibiting grid exports also limit financial viability for larger systems.

3. Financial Risks: Restricted access to financing, unattractive loan terms, and lender aversion to project-specific risks discourage investments. Fluctuations in exchange rates exacerbate these financial challenges, as most solar equipment is imported.

4. Developer Risks: A lack of experienced and certified developers increases uncertainties. Small developers often face challenges related to financial management and capacity, while third-party ownership contracts introduce additional risks, such as discrepancies between projected and actual energy consumption.

5. Hardware Risks: High costs of lithium-ion batteries and limited capacity for testing solar panels pose challenges for ensuring the quality and affordability of installations.

6. Grid and Transmission Risks: Limited grid hosting capacity and a lack of transparency regarding grid codes and connection requirements lead to additional costs for consumers.

7. Labour Risks: Insufficient certified solar PV installers and a lack of specialized engineering expertise hinder the deployment of high-quality systems.

8. Social Perception Risks: Misconceptions about rooftop solar systems, such as fears of lightning strikes or unrealistic expectations about energy independence, deter adoption, particularly in the residential sector.

Quantifying the Impacts of Risks

To help you better understand the financial impact of these risks, we’ve used the UNDP’s Derisking Renewable Energy Investment (DREI) framework to break it down. The analysis reveals that administrative and permitting risks, power market risks, and developer risks account for 57% of the risk premiums that elevate the cost of equity and debt. Mitigating these risks could lower the cost of equity by 2.4 percentage points and the cost of debt by 1.7 percentage points, making rooftop solar investments more attractive.

Recommendations to Overcome Barriers

To address these challenges, we outline several actionable recommendations:

1. Streamlining Administrative Processes:

- Develop a centralized one-stop-shop platform to simplify permitting, streamline equipment registration, and provide online application processes.

- Use this platform to consolidate information on equipment standards, financial products, policy incentives, and regulations, reducing time and costs for stakeholders.

2. Enhancing Policy and Financial Support:

- Establish long-term targets and steady support programs for rooftop solar PV, covering residential, commercial, and industrial consumers.

- Introduce risk-sharing mechanisms like loan guarantees, performance-based incentives, and partial risk guarantees to improve access to finance.

- Encourage the development of insurance solutions to cover risks associated with energy production interruptions.

3. Aligning with Grid Planning:

- Integrate rooftop solar targets with grid development plans to enhance demand forecasting and grid hosting capacity.

- Promote the use of energy storage systems (ESS) to enable demand response and reduce peak demand.

Building Capacity and Raising Awareness:

- Expand training and certification programs for solar PV installers to improve the quality and safety of installations.

- Conduct public awareness campaigns to address misconceptions and highlight the economic and environmental benefits of rooftop solar.

Fostering Innovative Business Models:

- Support peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading and direct power purchase agreements (PPAs) to encourage community-driven energy sharing and long-term price stability.

- Explore vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology to use electric vehicles as energy storage devices, creating new revenue streams and enhancing grid resilience.

Improving Developer Transparency:

- Establish review systems for developers and installers to enhance transparency and build investor confidence.

- Implement policies to manage solar waste and promote second-life markets for used panels and batteries.

We believe the success of these initiatives depends on all of us—government agencies, utilities, financial institutions, private sector stakeholders, and individuals—working together. By fostering partnerships and aligning goals, Thailand can create a conducive environment for rooftop solar PV investments, ensuring a just and sustainable energy transition.

Rooftop solar PV systems offer a transformative opportunity for Thailand to achieve its renewable energy targets, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and empower consumers to participate in the energy transition. By addressing key barriers and implementing the recommendations outlined in the CASE report, Thailand can unlock the full potential of rooftop solar, paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.

*This blog was originally published on the website for the project Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE).

Recently, the world has been transitioning towards renewable energy (RE) consumption. The smart grid, a pivotal factor in facilitating this transition, is an electricity network that integrates digital and information communication technologies to enhance the capacities of devices (e.g., smart metres, sensors, and automated control systems). It enables efficient communication, monitoring, control, and management of electricity within the network. Additionally, the smart grid ensures proper electricity generation and consumption, particularly when addressing the intermittency of RE sources like solar energy.

Accordingly, solar forecasting is one of the most critical components of renewable energy systems. The smart grid system relies on resilience and accuracy in power generation and consumption, and solar forecasting enhances the ability to predict the quantity of solar energy generated in advance. Solar energy production is highly volatile, depending on factors such as weather conditions and time of day. Accurate solar forecasting allows electricity operators to manage electrical loads effectively, reduce the risk of mismatched power generation and consumption, and improve the overall efficiency of the electrical power system.

Developing accurate solar forecasting requires diverse and high-quality datasets. These include specific weather data for a given area (e.g., temperature, humidity, wind speed, and cloud cover), technical details about the solar system (e.g., solar panel size, panel efficiency, and installation specifications), and information from the electricity network (e.g., power allocation data).

However, collecting datasets for forecasting models poses challenges. The data are often scattered across multiple sources, presented in varying formats and types, and serve different purposes. For instance, policymakers require an overview of the data to inform strategy development, while forecasting staff or researchers need detailed, specific information to improve accuracy. Meanwhile, the general public seeks simplified and easily understandable reports. These datasets may come in formats such as Excel, CSV, or PDF. These challenges are global in nature and significantly impact the quality and effectiveness of forecasting outcomes.

Therefore, standardising the collected datasets is essential for effective Big Data analysis and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Without proper data management, analysis and AI integration cannot deliver the desired results.

Big Data and AI are pivotal tools for advancing solar forecasting. They can analyse large datasets from various sources, such as satellites, weather monitoring stations, and solar systems used by general consumers, providing a comprehensive view of power generation and consumption. They also enable the development of highly accurate forecasts. An Open Data Platform is another promising tool. This platform provides open access to solar energy-related information, such as data collected from household solar panel sensors, improving both local and national forecasting accuracy and fostering collaboration among public, private, and third-sector stakeholders.

However, the successful development of Big Data systems and Open Data Platforms requires consistent technological infrastructure and supportive policies that ensure safe and equitable information sharing. Such measures are crucial to maximising the benefits of solar forecasting development and creating a sustainable renewable energy system for the country.

Authors: Peetiphat Thirakiat, Varinthon Kessayom and Dr Siripha Junlakarn, Energy Research Institute (ERI), Chulalongkorn University.

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This article was originally published on greennews.agency as part of the project Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE).

The Energy Dilemma

It’s a sleepy Friday afternoon in Myanmar’s Shan Hills. Sunshine pours over the avocado trees as a dusty dog naps in the shade. We only hear the wind through the leaves and the faint sound of women chatting as they work.

“Our biggest challenge is that there is no grid power here,” said Nathan Winn, Managing Director of Shan Orchard. “If you look around, the closest pole is about one mile away from us.”

Nathan, a man in his early 50s, peers through a weathered complexion that compliments his denim jacket and long salt-and-pepper hair. “We’re having to operate on diesel-fuel-powered generator, and that has been costly.”

Nathan’s story is all too common in Myanmar, a country where less than 62% of households have electricity access.

The remainder relies on diesel generation, a few renewables, and commonly, no electricity at all. But even for those on the national grid, lengthy power outages are the norm, particularly since Myanmar’s prolonged political turmoil.

Born in Myanmar and raised in California since he was nine years old, Nathan served 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a major before moving back to Myanmar in 2016. Two years later, he founded Shan Orchard, Myanmar’s first avocado oil producer.

With 264 local suppliers, 16 staff, 14 hectares of land, and a factory that produces 5,000 liters of oil monthly, Shan Orchard’s energy needs are demanding.

Out of necessity and following in the footsteps of nearly every industrial business in Myanmar, it turned to diesel power. “Right now, we spend about $3,000 a month on fuel. It’s really difficult.”

Nathan pursued solar energy but didn’t have the working capital to buy a system outright, and local banks—unfamiliar with solar—wouldn’t provide a loan.

“But with Smart Power Myanmar’s technical support and financial guarantee, we can now finance the project through a loan.”

Transforming a Country

Smart Power Myanmar (SPM), an initiative implemented by Pact, has been a driving force in Myanmar’s on-grid and off-grid electrification since 2019.

Formerly focused on researching and implementing solutions for rural energy access, in 2023, SPM partnered with The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to catalyze solar finance for Myanmar’s commercial and industrial small and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

“SMEs are desperate for renewable energy, but Myanmar’s solar ecosystem is still in its infancy,” said Min Chan Win, Managing Director of Smart Power Myanmar.

“If we can remove the hurdles facing solar development and finance, the energy transition will be dramatic and life changing.”

Solar is not simply about generating electricity; it’s about creating benefits that ripple across the economy.

For instance, the lowered operating costs and increased reliability can help local businesses avoid downsizing or closure while also securing Myanmar’s agricultural value chain, which employs at least 43% of the workforce.

By 2026, SPM expects to unlock solar for 100 new commercial and industrial solar businesses. The resulting clean energy will avert 100 tons of carbon emissions, secure over 70,000 jobs, and improve the livelihoods of more than 600,000 people.

“The key to all of this happening is a holistic approach,” said Min. “Through technical, financial, and capacity-building support, SPM is involved in every step of the solar journey.”

On the technical side, SPM oversees everything from system design to final installation. On the financing side, it works closely with local banks to provide facilitation support, loan guarantees, and solar finance workshops.

“Everything we do is designed to enhance the sector’s capacity and de-risk solar investment.”

To accelerate the process, SPM is leveraging Pact’s lengthy history in Myanmar and GEAPP’s extensive international alliance to develop a Myanmar-focused renewable energy community.

The result: an unlikely network of governments, international aid organizations, engineering companies—and most importantly—local banks.

“With more successful loans and a maturing solar ecosystem, banks are beginning to see that solar is a safe investment,” said Min. “Soon, they will issue solar loans without external support. That’s why we’re here.”

Several months later, at Shan Orchard, Nathan Winn speaks with a soft smile, “We have the trees planted, we have the factory built, and now we have the reliable energy.”

“With solar power, there’s no stopping us.”

Follow SPM to stay up to date on Myanmar’s renewable future.