First Stakeholders Meeting in Lithuania of the EAGER project
On September 10th, 2024, the EAGER project teams from the National Paying Agency and the Lithuania Innovation Center successfully hosted their first online stakeholder meeting. This event brought together key participants from various sectors to discuss the project’s goals, challenges, and possibilities. The primary aim was to present and highlight the project’s issues, challenges, possibilities, and solutions, while gathering valuable feedback from stakeholders.
The meeting addressed several critical problems, including the shading of APV panels affecting yield, infrastructure limitations in rural areas, and the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and the efficiency of APV systems. Additionally, the inability to sell surplus energy, limitations in power grid capacity for connecting PV systems, and changing compensation models making it difficult to predict payback were highlighted as significant issues. Furthermore, the absence of centralized data on farmers with installed APV systems in Lithuania was recognized as a challenge.
Participants also discussed various challenges, such as high initial investments, especially for small farmers, complex permitting processes (particularly for systems over 30 kW), and limited technical knowledge and awareness about PV systems. Other issues included the national grid load in rural areas and the environmental protection requirements for systems above 100 kW. The large number of subsidy applications, leading to long evaluation times, was also mentioned as a source of dissatisfaction.
Despite these challenges, the meeting identified several promising possibilities. These included the dual use of land for agriculture and electricity production, financial incentives for renewable energy projects, technological advancements in APV systems, reduced water evaporation, and improved yields under APV panels. The potential for utilizing large areas of grassland (up to 550,000 ha), some of which are currently unused, for solar farms was also noted, along with the opportunity to install APV systems on rooftops and arable land without major restrictions.
To address these issues and challenges, the meeting proposed several solutions. These included providing targeted financial support to small farmers, simplifying permitting processes, harmonizing land-use regulations, and developing training and educational programs about APV technologies. Other solutions involved introducing a centralized register to track where and how much PV capacity is installed, establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for APV installations, and publicizing other agencies’ calls for solar power plants. Additionally, stakeholders suggested lobbying for the ability to sell surplus energy, supporting the installation of batteries, and ensuring power grid capacity checks before applying for APV support.
Participants engaged in a lively Q&A session, sharing their experiences and posing critical questions about the project’s impact and implementation strategies. The interactive nature of the meeting fostered a collaborative environment, encouraging stakeholders to contribute their expertise and perspectives.
The meeting concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and an outline of the next steps. Some stakeholders expressed interest in being onboard for the project’s future development. The EAGER project team expressed their gratitude for the stakeholders’ continued support and emphasized the importance of their contributions to the project’s success.
This meeting marks a significant step forward in the EAGER project, setting the stage for future collaborations and advancements in agricultural photovoltaic (APV) systems.