Agrivoltaics: ADEME publishes the PALIER method to frame more than 17 GW of projects

At the 2026 Energy Transition Conference, ADEME published on 30 June 2026 the PALIER method, a support tool for farmers and developers of agrivoltaic projects.

Co-developed with sector stakeholders, this method offers a voluntary, step-by-step approach based on a best-practice framework, without replacing existing regulatory procedures.

The regulatory framework was established in 2023 by the law on accelerating renewable energy generation, known as the APER law. It sets out a principle: agrivoltaics must contribute lastingly to the establishment, maintenance or development of agricultural production.

The stakes are significant in scale. A survey conducted by ADEME in 2024 identified more than 1,600 projects on agricultural land in five French regions, at all stages of development, representing more than 17 GW.

The method aims to strengthen the technical, agricultural and socio-economic quality of projects, by clarifying what distinguishes an agrivoltaic project from a ground-mounted plant installed on farmland.