Israel’s National Planning and Building Council has approved an outline plan for agrivoltaics.
Prepared under the leadership of Israel’s Planning Administration and Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the plan represents the country's first attempt to define rules comprehensively regulating agrivoltaic installations.
It specifies that solar panel coverage must not exceed 30% of a cultivated area, although exceptions may be granted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The lower edge of solar panels must be at least 1.5 m above the ground for field crops, to allow unimpeded access of agricultural machinery, and 4.5 m for orchards and crops other than field crops.
Agrivoltaic projects in nature reserves, national parks, forests, beaches and streams are prohibited. Exisiting ecological corridors must be preserved, while harm to natural vegetation should be avoided.
Join us on March 5 for the Dual harvest, double trouble: Tackling EPC barriers in agrivoltaics design pv magazine session in English language at KEY – The Energy Transition Expo in Rimini. Experts will share insights on current agrivoltaic technologies, key design choices and the main barriers to standardized, scalable dual‑use projects in Europe and Italy, including region‑specific EPC issues. The plan also offers two main approval tracks for agrivoltaics, depending on the size and nature of the installation. For small, localized installations, a fast track permit will allow an agrivoltaic installation up to 10 dunams (1 hectare) within the first plot of an agricultural holding. This approval track will cover up to 80 dunams in a locality with an agricultural quota, or up to 150 dunams if there is no quota. For larger-scale projects, covering up to 1,000 dunams (100 hectares), a detailed plan must be submitted for approval. If the project area exceeds 300 dunams, it will be mandatory to allocate a dedicated research plot, at least 15 dunams in size, for continuous data collection for the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry will be responsible for ensuring agrivoltaic installations adhere to a series of conditions throughout operation. A minimum of 85% of the land occupied by the facility must continue to be used for agricultural cultivation, while agricultural output beneath the solar panels must not fall below 75% of the regional standard of the crop. Some projects will also be required to allocate a control plot without solar panels adjacent to the agrivoltaics, of around 2% of the project area, for comparative evaluation on irrigation and yield data. The plan also permits energy storage facilities adjacent to an agrivoltaic site. Approvals for storage up to 50 m2/MWh may be granted, provided total storage structures do not exceed 200 m2, but will require approval from the relevant planning authority. Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture will also be tasked with monitoring compliance with planning requirements. If an agrivoltaic site does not maintain optimal cultivation for a continuous two-year period, the permit can be revoked, which would require the developer to remove the solar array. Rafi Elmaleh, Director General of Israel’s Planning Administration, said the approval of the zoning plan was a significant milestone. “In an era of climate change and increasing energy needs, agro-voltaic technology makes it possible to preserve open areas and prevent them from becoming mere infrastructure facilities,” Elmaleh said. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
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