Harvesting sun and soil: the promise of agri-pv in Dutch orchards – and the challenges
In a quiet Dutch orchard, rows of pear trees grow beneath solar panels—and beneath those panels, the future of farming is quietly taking shape. As climate, land, and energy pressures mount, this experimental site is showing what might be possible when agriculture and innovation grow side by side.
A field of pear trees might not look like the birthplace of tomorrow's agriculture, but in central Netherlands, one such orchard is serving exactly that role. Beneath the leaves and fruit, solar panels stretch overhead, not as a futuristic backdrop, but as part of a living, breathing experiment. This site is at the forefront of agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV), where food and energy are produced side by side. Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), working under the TALOS project, are turning this orchard into a testing ground for what happens when sunlight is shared between silicon and sap. In this first article of a two-part series, based on a detailed conversation with WUR researchers Hellen Elissen and Stefan Hol, we explore the lessons emerging from this hybrid landscape and the hurdles it must overcome to thrive.
At the heart of this experiment lies a unique orchard in Randwijk where traditional pear cultivation is combined with solar panel installations. Constructed by GroenLeven around three years ago in the Sunbiose project, with subsidies from the Dutch government, the site stands as one of the earliest in Europe to test the viability of such dual-purpose land use. "We are testing a combination of pear trees with solar panels, and we have three different setups for the solar panels," explains Hellen Elissen, outlining the innovative structure of the research. The variety of configurations allows researchers to analyse how different degrees of shading and orientation influence the microclimate and productivity of the orchard.
What makes this pilot unique is its deliberate restraint: rather than continually adapting for maximum yield, the site is intentionally left in its initial configuration to observe long-term effects. This approach provides a valuable window into how Agri-PV affects fruit trees year after year without interference from frequent modifications.
The day-to-day challenges
But the path to innovation is far from smooth. The orchard faces several practical difficulties, one of which is directly related to accessibility within the site. "The driving paths between the orchard rows have become quite damaged, as panels cause rainfall to concentrate heavily in specific spots," Hellen explains. The way the solar panels are constructed and orientated leads to soggy patches when it rains, and this disrupts regular orchard maintenance. These maintenance challenges affect not only day-to-day operations but also the longevity and health of the orchard's soil.
Another, perhaps more critical, issue is the effect of solar shading on crop yield and quality. "We see the pear yield decrease because of the shade from the panels," she says. This impact is particularly troubling for Dutch pear growers, who already operate in a relatively low-light environment. Reduced yield can make the difference between a profitableand a loss-making season.
Hellen also elaborates on how the shading influences other growth parameters. "The microclimate beneath the panels is more temperate. Summers are cooler and winters are milder, theoretically reducing stress on the trees," she notes. Although this may sound beneficial, she cautions that the system is currently too small to detect major climatic advantages. At the same time the team is experimenting with reduced pesticide useunder the wide panels, since there have been experiments that show reduced disease stress under drier conditions.
Still, the concept is grounded in a long-term vision. The experiment was never designed to tweak conditions annually to chase yield improvements. "We are not adapting the experiment yearly. The goal is to understand what consistently happens over several years, with changes in climatic conditions, when you add shading to a pear tree," Hellen explains. This consistency, she adds, is essential to generating meaningful data that can inform future designs and policy recommendations.
Land use efficiency and economic realities
From an economic standpoint, the project touches on one of the Netherlands' most pressing agricultural issues: land scarcity and cost. "You have two types of harvest on one plot of land: electricity and pears. Joint production outweighs separate production because you simply need less space overall," says Stefan Hol. With agricultural land priced at up to €200,000 per hectare, such space efficiency becomes not just desirable, but necessary.
Despite these advantages, the research team is realistic about current limitations. Stefan openly admits that the orchard's design doesn't yet reflect an optimised Agri-PV system. "We didn't make an optimised PV-pear system; it's a pear system with PV," he remarks. This distinction matters. Unlike other pilot sites focusing solely on energy production, the Dutch orchard began as a conventional agricultural site retrofitted with solar infrastructure. The challenge lies in navigating the trade-offs.
The infrastructure itself also adds cost and complexity. Unlike conventional solar installations, the panels in this orchard are mounted four meters high to allow for agricultural activities underneath. "The constructions are more expensive, and the panel density is lower, which means lower energy output per square meter," Hellen adds. Balancing this against lower fruit yields makes for a challenging business case, one that requires careful evaluation of benefits beyond just economic returns.
Regional and climate factors
One striking point of comparison is how different climates affect the viability of Agri-PV. "In places like southern Spainor Jordan, the protective benefits of solar panels, like moderated temperatures and increased humidity, are more pronounced," says Hellen. In contrast, she explains, Dutch crops are often light-limited, and even small reductions in sunlight can have outsized impacts on growth and quality.
The team is also exploring the potential for Agri-PV to contribute to resilience against climate extremes. For example, shading might help reduce water evaporation or protect fruit from sunburn during increasingly hot European summers. These effects have been found in other Agri-PV fruit projects, such as with raspberries, which the team also study.
The potential is enormous. Integrating solar panels above fruit crops offers a model for energy and food co-productionin densely populated or resource-constrained regions. The Dutch example underscores that while Agri-PV holds promise, it is not a plug-and-play solution. The transition requires holistic consideration of crop type, regional climate, infrastructure cost, landscape considerations, and long-term sustainability.
Outlook and future directions
Stefan adds further context by highlighting the agricultural implications beyond yield. "Arable land here is extremely expensive, and if you can use the same land for dual purposes, then you can make the business case more attractive, especially when net congestion limits new energy projects," he explains. In certain Dutch regions, connecting new renewable energy sources to the grid has become increasingly difficult, making decentralised, site-based generation an even more appealing solution.
This constraint opens the door for Agri-PV installations to act as micro-energy hubs. Farmers might use generated electricity to power their own operations, cooling systems, irrigation pumps, or even electric machinery, reducing dependency on the central grid and gaining energy autonomy.
Ultimately, this pilot is as much about asking questions as it is about finding answers. "The business case is challenging now, but future adaptations could significantly improve it," Hellen says. Those adaptations might include panel spacing, dynamic shading strategies, or even integrating new crop varieties or configurations better suited for partially shaded environments.
The team also envisions future studies focusing on pest and disease resistance under Agri-PV conditions. Slight environmental changes could influence pathogen prevalence, and shaded microclimates might affect insect behaviour. Understanding these dynamics could unlock new opportunities for sustainable farming.
The insights emerging from the Randwijk orchard carry weight far beyond the Dutch borders. They serve as a practical case study for other countries grappling with similar constraints: from land competition to climate adaptation. As the global demand for sustainable agriculture intensifies, models like the TALOS Agri-PV orchard offer both a cautionary tale and a beacon of opportunity.
In the second part of this series, we'll pivot to explore the high-tech innovations taking shape within this unique environment, specifically, the robotics and precision agriculture tools being tested under the TALOS umbrella. These technologies, poised to redefine farm management, could be the key to unlocking Agri-PV's full potential.
Project Coordinator:
Daniel Albuquerque, EDP
Communication & press contact:
Cesar G. Crisosto, ICONS
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