Suncheon sets up two 50kW pilot complexes for rice paddies and field crops

A rice transplanter operates in a paddy field fitted with solar panels. [Photo by Suncheon City]
A rice transplanter operates in a paddy field fitted with solar panels. [Photo by Suncheon City]

Suncheon is pushing ahead with a pilot project for agri-solar power — a system that installs solar panels above farmland so farmers can grow crops and earn electricity revenue at the same time.

The city is pursuing a total of 100kW across two 50kW pilot complexes, one targeting rice paddies and one targeting field crops.

A rice-paddy pilot complex has already been established near the Agricultural Technology Center in Seungju-eup, where rice cultivation is underway. A field-crop complex is planned for the Guman-ri area of Seo-myeon and will be built in stages.

At a rice-transplanting demonstration held recently, workers used a transplanting machine beneath solar panel structures standing about 4 meters tall.

The demonstration confirmed that farm machinery can operate and field work can proceed without difficulty, validating the practical feasibility of running farming and power generation side by side.

The rice-paddy complex was designed with a shading rate of about 30 percent to secure the sunlight rice plants need to grow. The electricity generated will power the Agricultural Technology Center's public facilities through self-consumption.

Suncheon plans to conduct a comprehensive analysis comparing the pilot sites with conventional farmland, examining crop growth and yields, power output, shading effects, farm-machinery operability and economic viability.

The findings will be used to verify the agricultural and economic benefits of agri-solar power, develop a locally tailored standard model, and build a foundation for expanding the system to individual farms and informing policy.

Agri-solar power is drawing attention as a next-generation farming model that produces electricity through solar generation while keeping agriculture going — seen as a viable response to the climate crisis, a path toward carbon neutrality, and a way to give farmers a stable income base.

The project aims to verify the potential for generating new income while maintaining agricultural production, and to establish a standard agri-solar model suited to local conditions.

Prospects for nationwide expansion have brightened after related legislation recently passed the National Assembly, with broader rollout expected once the new regime takes effect.

"Through the agri-solar pilot, we will closely analyze yields, power generation and economic viability to build a foundation that farmers can join with confidence," a city official said. "We will do our utmost to contribute to increasing farm household income and realizing sustainable agriculture."


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