Paju City Enacts Nation's First Ordinance Supporting Agrophotovoltaic Power Generation Projects

Boosting Farmers’ Income and Linking with RE100
Expanding Renewable Energy
Driving a Sustainable Rural Economy

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province saw its "Ordinance on Supporting Agrophotovoltaic Power Generation Projects in Paju City," which was pursued as part of efforts to establish an institutional foundation for the expansion of renewable energy, pass the city council’s plenary session on April 3. This marks the first case in the nation of a local government enacting an ordinance related to agrophotovoltaic projects.

Paju City Enacts the Nation's First 'Ordinance Supporting Agricultural Solar Power Generation Projects.' Smart Farm Agricultural Solar Power Facility in Deokcheon-ri, Papyeong-myeon. Provided by Paju City

"Agrophotovoltaics" refers to a system in which electricity is generated through solar panels installed above farmland, while crops continue to be cultivated below as usual. This method is drawing attention as an alternative to increase farmers’ income by enabling more efficient use of farmland.

The ordinance consists of a total of 10 articles, covering: ▲ the establishment of a comprehensive agrophotovoltaic plan ▲ implementation of pilot projects ▲ designation of support recipients and priority support criteria ▲ financial and technical support ▲ and technical education for farmers, among other provisions.

Under the ordinance, Paju City will establish a "comprehensive plan" to ensure smooth project implementation. This plan will include targets and strategies for expanding agrophotovoltaic facilities, selection of crops and technology development tailored to Paju’s climate and soil characteristics, and, notably, broad measures to support the sale of generated electricity by linking it with companies participating in RE100. These are expected to maximize synergies with Paju City’s energy policies.

In addition, the city has established detailed priority support standards to ensure that benefits are distributed evenly to small-scale farmers and others in need. Priority will be given to farmers who live in Paju and operate on their own or leased farmland, with the highest priority to small-scale farmers operating facilities with a capacity of less than 100kW per person or to village community projects involving five or more farmers.

Beyond simple financial support, the city will also provide practical technical training to enable farmers to manage power generation projects and farming activities in parallel. This training will cover essential site-specific topics such as the operating principles and maintenance of key equipment, disaster prevention tips, safe operation of agricultural machinery beneath the panels, understanding the complex electricity sales structure, and the permitting process.

Based on this ordinance, Paju City plans to actively launch various support programs to help farmers successfully establish agrophotovoltaic businesses.

Haewon Kim, head of the Energy Division, said, "The enactment of this ordinance will provide Paju’s farmers with new income opportunities and serve as a solid foundation to revitalize the rural economy. We will build an agrophotovoltaic model where agriculture and energy coexist, realize sustainable agriculture, and take a leading role as a city of energy innovation advancing renewable energy policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.