Land Use & Permitting

Solar, Biodiversity, Land Use: Best Practice Guidelines

The EU is facing a double challenge of ensuring environmental quality and speed of deployment for secure, sustainable and affordable solar energy.

European Member States will need to accelerate the permitting procedures and provide visibility to developers while allocating land in a harmonious, balanced manner to make sure different land uses coexist. In the meantime, the industry will need to invent new business models that would tackle at the same time Solar Energy production, Food security and Nature conservation. This is possible via innovative solutions such as Agri PV or Floating PV.

The Land-Use & Permitting Workstream aims to promote a swift and efficient deployment of inclusive and integrated utility-scale solar PV within a fully renewable energy system, compatible with ecosystem restoration, nature conservation and agriculture. To achieve these objectives, the Land-Use and permitting workstream works with expert in sustainability, spatial planning and permitting to produce guidance, policy papers and recommendations to the EU institutions, the national authorities and the solar sector on how to ensure that the deployment of solar power is compatible both with our renewable energy targets and our nature conservation and restoration objectives.

80% of Europe’s land is already used for settlements, farming, forestry, and infrastructure, highlighting the need for careful planning of solar PV projects.

0.26% of EU land would be sufficient to meet today’s total electricity demand using only solar PV whereas using 1% of EU agricultural land with agri-PV, would translate into 944 GW.

Up to 5 years are currently required to permit a utility-scale solar PV plant.

The Land Use & Permitting Workstream

The Land-Use and Permitting Workstream promotes the rapid, efficient rollout of inclusive, integrated utility-scale solar PV within a fully renewable energy system-aligned with ecosystem restoration, nature conservation, and agriculture. “Rapid” supports Europe’s 2030 goal of 1TW solar, while “efficient” ensures cost-competitive energy. Deployment is also inclusive, involving local communities.

Solar and biodiversity can coexist, even benefiting local flora and fauna. The Workstream works closely with environmental and biodiversity NGOs to promote best practices that respect and enhance ecosystems.

It also supports innovative PV solutions such as agrisolar, agriPV, and floating PV. Agrisolar integrates solar projects into agricultural activity. AgriPV systems combine PV installations with sustainable farming through methods like crop shading, adapted ground systems, grazing, or greenhouse integration. Floating PV involves installations on water bodies, optimizing land use and helping prevent algae growth.

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Land Use & Permitting accomplishments

→ Launch of the EU Renewable Energy State of the Play report → Agrisolar’s recognition in the European Parliament’s Own Initiative Procedure (INI) report → Launch of the Agrisolar Handbook together with the EU farming associations

Interview with Eva Vandest, Chair of the Workstream Chair of the Land Use & Permitting Workstream

European ambition and goals for solar energy has increased exponentially to achieve the energy transition. In order to successfully achieve those targets, the solar sector has to be an example and leader in sustainable development, respectful of nature and European citizens. The Land Use and Permitting Workstream will share experience, expertise and recommendations to increase best practices in land management through a specific focus on biodiversity and dual-use business models like Agrisolar and Floating PV.

Read the interview