Agrivoltaics in Thailand: Farming Under Solar Panels

Thailand’s solar energy sector reached roughly 9,942 MWp of installed capacity by the end of 2024, yet agrivoltaics — farming beneath elevated solar panels — barely registers in that total (IEA-PVPS, 2026). That’s about to change. The global market for dual-use solar farming surpassed 18.4 GW by mid-2025, and Thailand is now running pilot projects to see if the model fits its tropical farms (SunHub, 2026).

So why is Thailand only now catching up? The answer lies in crop selection, land law, and panel design. This guide explains what agrivoltaics is, where the Kingdom stands in 2026, and what farmers need to know before planting under photovoltaics.

TL;DR: Thailand’s agrivoltaics market is valued at roughly USD 1.4 billion in 2025 and could reach USD 6.9 billion by 2031 (Mobility Foresights, 2025). Pilot projects are testing shade-tolerant crops beneath elevated panels, but no dedicated national law exists yet and the Energy Regulatory Commission is still updating land-use rules.

How Does Agrivoltaics Work?

An agrivoltaic system mounts solar panels 3–5 meters above the ground on elevated steel frames, leaving enough light and headroom for tractors and crops below (IEA-PVPS, 2025). The spacing between rows is wider than a standard solar farm — usually 1.5 to 2 times the panel height — so sunlight filters through in shifting patterns throughout the day. Bifacial panels are increasingly common because they capture reflected light from the ground, turning crop canopies and soil into secondary light sources.

Beneath the array, farmers grow shade-tolerant crops. In Thailand’s tropical climate, the shade reduces soil temperature and cuts evaporation, which lowers irrigation demand. Cables and inverters are tucked along frame edges or mounted on exterior walls to avoid interfering with equipment. The electricity can either power on-farm operations — cold storage, irrigation pumps, drying equipment — or feed into the grid under a Very Small Power Producer agreement.

What does this mean for a Thai farm? Water management is critical. Rainfall is seasonal and often intense, so drainage channels must be built into foundation pads to prevent flooding around posts. Structural load calculations also need to account for monsoon season winds, which means thicker pylons and deeper footings than those used in temperate designs.

While global discussions often frame agrivoltaics as a solution for land-scarce countries, Thailand’s challenge is different. The Kingdom isn’t critically land-scarce, but it is land-competitive: agricultural prices near grid connections are rising, and solar developers face growing social pressure not to convert productive rice paddies into pure solar farms. Agrivoltaics offers a politically acceptable compromise that keeps land classified as agricultural while adding a second revenue stream.

Agrivoltaic systems mount panels 3–5 meters above ground with row spacing 1.5–2 times panel height, allowing tractors to operate beneath the array while bifacial modules capture reflected light from crops and soil (IEA-PVPS, 2025). Properly designed configurations maintain roughly 80–90% of baseline crop yield for shade-tolerant species while simultaneously generating electricity.

What Are the Benefits of Farming Under Solar Panels?

Properly designed agrivoltaic systems achieve a Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) well above 1, meaning the combined food and energy output from the same plot exceeds what either use could produce alone on separate land (IEA-PVPS, 2025). In other words, one hectare of dual-use land outperforms two hectares of single-use land.

The benefits run in both directions. Crops cool the air beneath the panels through evapotranspiration, and every 10°C drop in panel temperature can boost photovoltaic efficiency by roughly 0.5% (IEA-PVPS, 2025). A well-irrigated farm can actually improve the solar array’s output compared to bare ground.

What does this mean in practice? For farmers, the economics are the main draw. After the system is paid off, the same hectare produces both crop income and electricity savings or sales. For crops with thin margins — which describes much of Thailand’s vegetable sector — the extra revenue can turn a marginal operation into a viable one.

Thai researchers are already testing local suitability. Chiang Mai University has run trials with lettuce, eggplant, and chili under solar arrays, while a pilot with bok choy showed poor results (ISEAS Perspective, 2023). Other institutions, including KMUTT and RMUTL, are studying spirulina, aquaculture, and vegetable production beneath panels. The message is clear: crop selection is everything.

In European vertical bifacial agrivoltaic trials, winter wheat reached about 111% of open-field yields and barley held at roughly 100%, showing that crops grown between elevated panels can match or beat full-sun controls (pv magazine, 2024). These gains show that shade isn’t always a penalty — in hot climates, it can protect crops from heat stress that would otherwise cut output.

Where Does Thailand Stand on Agrivoltaics in 2026?

Thailand’s agrivoltaics market was valued at approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a 30.5% compound annual rate to reach USD 6.9 billion by 2031 (Mobility Foresights, 2025). Despite that projection, the country remains firmly in the pilot phase. Most activity is concentrated in the Northeast, where government agencies have set up test sites to study tropical microclimates under panels.

What is actually happening on the ground? Total installed solar capacity in Thailand reached about 9,942 MWp by the end of 2024, split between ground-mount, rooftop, and floating systems (IEA-PVPS, 2026). Agrivoltaics isn’t yet broken out as its own category; any connected systems are likely counted within the ground-mounted total. The Alternative Energy Development Plan draft targets 38,974 MWp of solar by 2037 as part of Thailand’s 18 GW Renewable Target, and dual-use models are expected to help meet that goal without triggering land-use conflicts.

On the regulatory front, the Energy Regulatory Commission is updating rules to accommodate electricity generation on agricultural land, and the Agricultural Land Reform Office already permits solar installations on agricultural plots under specific conditions (GIZ / CASE for SEA, 2024). The catch is that farming must remain the primary land use. If solar revenue overtakes crop income, ALRO can revoke land rights. Until a clear dual-use land category is written into law, this risk deters institutional investment.

Research is advancing faster than deployment. Naresuan University’s SGtech faculty has published policy recommendations with the GIZ-backed CASE project, while KMUTT and RMUTL are running technical trials. The GIZ report published in September 2024 recommended cross-sector collaboration, financial incentives, and pilot projects in drought-prone regions.

Here’s an angle market forecasts sometimes miss: Thailand’s agrivoltaic potential isn’t primarily about land scarcity — it’s about social license. Ground-mounted solar farms in farming provinces face rising opposition from communities who don’t want rice paddies paved over. Agrivoltaics keeps the land green and productive, which makes it easier for developers to secure local approval and long-term leases. That political advantage could accelerate adoption faster than pure economics alone.

Thailand’s Alternative Energy Development Plan targets 38,974 MWp of solar capacity by 2037, and the Energy Regulatory Commission is actively updating regulations to allow electricity generation on agricultural land (IEA-PVPS, 2026; GIZ / CASE for SEA, 2024). Agrivoltaics is positioned as a dual-use solution that can help meet national targets without converting farmland into pure solar parks.

Which Crops Work Best Under Solar Panels in Thailand?

Global field trials show that shade-tolerant crops perform best. In European vertical agrivoltaic trials, winter wheat reached about 111% of open-field yields while barley matched its full-sun control at roughly 100% (pv magazine, 2024). In Germany, grass and hay under panels reached 88% of full-sun yield, with most of the 12% gap coming from land lost to mounting posts rather than biological underperformance.

How do you pick the right one for Thailand? The key is matching the crop to the light regime. Beneath a fixed-tilt array, direct sunlight drops by 30–60% depending on the time of day. Shade-tolerant species evolved for forest-floor conditions, so they thrive in dappled light. Leafy greens like lettuce and kale respond well because reduced radiation slows bolting and extends the harvest window. Herbs such as basil, coriander, and lemongrass also handle partial shade.

Coffee is a promising candidate for northern highlands. Arabica and robusta are naturally shade-tolerant, and the cooler microclimate under panels can mimic the conditions premium beans prefer. Orchids — already a major Thai export — are another natural fit, since commercial varieties are often grown under shade cloth.

Root vegetables and grains are riskier. Rice needs open sky and flooded paddies; the structural posts and shade make agrivoltaic rice cultivation impractical at scale. Maize and cassava show mixed results globally and haven’t been validated in Thai trials. The Chiang Mai bok choy pilot confirmed that not every leafy green succeeds: yields were very low, and the authors recommended switching to more shade-tolerant species (ISEAS Perspective, 2023).

Farmers should also think about machinery. Low-growing crops that don’t require tall equipment are easiest to manage beneath fixed arrays. If the farm uses tractors, the panel height and row spacing must accommodate the turning radius.

What Challenges Hold Back Agrivoltaics in Thailand?

No dedicated national agrivoltaic policy exists in Thailand, and developers must navigate a patchwork of ERC regulations, ALRO land rules, and provincial building codes (GIZ / CASE for SEA, 2024). That uncertainty raises financing costs and slows approvals.

Why isn’t every farm doing this already? The biggest practical hurdle is the soiling penalty. Agricultural activity beneath panels kicks up dust, pollen, and soil particles that coat the glass. Studies estimate this can cut PV generation by at least 10% compared to clean installations (IEA-PVPS, 2025). In Thailand’s dry season, that figure could climb higher without regular washing — adding labor and water costs.

Upfront capital is another barrier. Elevated mounting structures cost more per watt than standard ground-mount systems because they need taller pylons, deeper foundations, and wider spans. Farmers who already struggle with thin margins may not have access to solar financing options, even if the long-term returns are attractive.

The ALRO land issue deserves emphasis. Agricultural Land Reform Office plots are legally restricted to farming. If an inspector decides that solar revenue has overtaken crop revenue as the primary income, the land classification — and the farmer’s right to use it — is at risk. Until a clear dual-use land category is written into law, this risk will deter institutional investment.

Asia-Pacific held roughly 68.86% of global agrivoltaics revenue in 2025, with China, Japan, and India leading deployment (Mordor Intelligence, 2025). Thailand is still an emerging market within that dominant region, which means it can learn from established regulatory frameworks in South Korea and Japan rather than designing policy from scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics is the practice of installing solar panels above active farmland so the same plot produces both crops and electricity. The panels are typically elevated 3–5 meters to allow tractors and harvesters to pass underneath. Global installed agrivoltaic capacity surpassed 18.4 GW by mid-2025 (SunHub, 2026).

Can agrivoltaics work with rice farming in Thailand?

No — rice isn’t a practical agrivoltaic crop at scale. Rice paddies require flooded fields and full sunlight, and the structural posts and shade from an elevated array interfere with both water management and photosynthesis. Thai researchers are instead testing shade-tolerant crops like lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms.

Do solar panels hurt crop yields?

It depends on the crop and design. Global field trials show yields ranging from 84% of full-sun controls (tomatoes in Botswana) to 117% (lentils in France). In Thailand, a Chiang Mai pilot found bok choy yields were very low under panels, leading researchers to recommend more shade-tolerant species instead (ISEAS Perspective, 2023). Crop selection is the deciding factor.

Is agrivoltaic electricity eligible for Thailand’s net billing program?

Thailand’s residential net billing quota is filled as of late 2024, so new applicants can’t receive payments for exports (Energy News Center, 2024). However, agrivoltaic farms can sell power through VSPP agreements or use the electricity for on-farm operations like irrigation and cold storage. The Energy Regulatory Commission is updating regulations specifically for agricultural land generation.

Which crops show the most promise for Thai agrivoltaics?

Based on global trials and early Thai research, shade-tolerant species are the safest bets. Leafy greens, herbs, coffee, mushrooms, and orchids all handle reduced light well. In contrast, rice, maize, and cassava are poor fits because they need full sun or haven’t been validated under panels in Thailand.

Conclusion

Agrivoltaics isn’t a magic bullet for Thai agriculture, but it’s a viable option for farmers with the right crops and land tenure. The pilot projects spreading across the Northeast and the research coming out of Chiang Mai, KMUTT, and RMUTL prove that shade-tolerant vegetables and potentially coffee can thrive beneath elevated panels while the land simultaneously generates clean electricity.

The hurdles are real: ALRO land ambiguity, higher upfront costs, and panel soiling in dusty farm environments. Yet the 30.5% annual market growth forecast suggests investors and policymakers are taking notice. For farmers curious about the technology, the lowest-risk first step is a small demonstration plot with a shade-tolerant crop like lettuce or herbs under a modest panel array.