How to Evaluate Sites for Dual-Use Agri-PV Projects

Land constraints are among the biggest roadblocks in utility-scale solar development today. Agri-PV, the co-location of solar arrays and ongoing agricultural use, has emerged as a promising solution. But it also introduces a new layer of complexity when evaluating sites.

For Agri-PV to succeed, the land must serve two functions: it must generate clean energy and remain productive for grazing or crops. That means traditional solar prospecting methods aren’t enough. Developers must now assess agro-technical feasibility, how solar infrastructure will physically and functionally interact with agricultural activity over time.

This article breaks down the key criteria developers should consider when evaluating land for Agri-PV projects, including practical differences between solar grazing and crop-integrated systems. You’ll also learn how platforms like Glint Solar can help you move faster and avoid false positives by combining terrain, solar potential, and agricultural suitability in one place.

TL;DR

• Dual-purpose land use is central to Agri-PV success. A site must be viable for both energy generation and agricultural productivity.

• Grazing vs. Crop-Based Systems: Each has different terrain, light, and access requirements.

• Data is critical: Stacking topography, soil, drainage, and land use data helps avoid false positives and wasted engineering hours.

• Common pitfalls include assuming flat land is suitable or relying solely on irradiance.

• Glint Solar’s platform streamlines this process by integrating solar, terrain, and agricultural data into one interface, enabling faster, more confident evaluations with fewer redesigns.

For a full overview of Agri-PV system types, design challenges, and developer strategies, check out our comprehensive guide.

Want to learn how to design and de-risk your Agri-PV pipeline in Europe's growing market? We have a webinar on that very topic! Check it out.

The Dual-Suitability Challenge in Agri-PV

In standard utility-scale solar development, the evaluation checklist is clear: solar irradiance, slope, grid proximity, access roads, and zoning restrictions. But Agri-PV changes the equation.

A site with ideal solar exposure might fail because of poor drainage or uneven terrain that makes crop production unviable. A parcel that looks good on paper could turn into a permitting dead-end if it lacks irrigation potential or machinery access for farmers.

That’s because Agri-PV requires developers to balance two forms of productivity:

• Energy yield from the solar array
• Agricultural viability through continued land use for grazing or crops

What’s technically feasible for one isn’t always compatible with the other. That’s where many early-stage Agri-PV projects fall short, pursuing land that ticks the solar boxes, but struggles under agricultural scrutiny.

This is where Glint Solar helps de-risk prospecting. Instead of stitching together GIS tools and spreadsheets, developers can evaluate terrain, simulate layout spacing, and assess agricultural compatibility in a single interface. Whether it’s crop-based or livestock-driven, you can qualify land faster - and with greater confidence - from the start.

Key Site Criteria for Agri-PV Success

Evaluating land for Agri-PV means looking beyond irradiance and grid proximity. Developers must consider how well the land can support both solar infrastructure and productive agricultural activity, and that differs significantly depending on whether you're pursuing a solar grazing or crop-based system.

Below are the core criteria that define high-potential Agri-PV zones, along with how Glint Solar supports smarter, faster evaluation across each one.

1. Terrain and Topography

• Grazing systems can tolerate mild slopes and uneven ground, particularly for sheep or goats.
• Crop-based Agri-PV requires flatter terrain to support machinery access, irrigation planning, and even shading distribution.

How Glint Solar helps: Glint’s terrain slope filters and buildable area calculations help identify parcels that meet both structural and agricultural needs, before a layout is drawn.

2. Soil Health and Composition

• Grazing is less sensitive to soil quality but still affected by compaction or erosion risks.
• Crops, especially high-value ones, require well-drained, fertile soil with good structure.
  
  

How Glint Solar helps: In regions like France, Glint Solar integrates agricultural data layers such as the Registre Parcellaire Graphique (RPG), France’s national agricultural parcel register. This allows developers to view past crop use (culture principale) and assess land characteristics directly within the solar siting workflow, supporting more informed decisions for Agri-PV suitability and permitting feasibility.

3. Drainage and Moisture Retention

• Poor drainage can lead to standing water, root damage in crops, and unsuitable grazing zones.
• Seasonal waterlogging also increases maintenance and erosion risks.
  
  

How Glint Solar helps: By layering surface hydrology and topographic contour data, Glint helps developers flag zones with poor drainage — reducing surprises later in permitting or design.

4. Light Access and Shading Patterns

• Grazing is relatively shade-tolerant.
• Crops, on the other hand, require precise control of light access to maintain yield and quality.
  
  

How Glint Solar helps: Model panel elevation, row spacing, and azimuth to visualize light penetration for specific crop types. Glint also supports bifacial panel simulations that factor in crop-specific ground reflectance (albedo), helping developers design more accurate systems for dual-use success.

5. Machinery Access and Spacing

•  Grazing requires simple fencing and minimal maintenance access.
• Crop systems must allow space for tractors, implements, and seasonal operations like sowing and harvesting.

How Glint Solar helps: Manually adjust axis distances, row spacing, and layout orientation to model machinery flow. Glint lets you tailor layouts to match agricultural needs without starting from scratch every time.

6. Water and Irrigation Access

• Grazing operations need basic livestock water access.
• Crop systems often depend on established irrigation infrastructure or viable water sources nearby.
  
  

7. Parcel Shape and Connectivity

• Grazing can adapt to fragmented or irregular parcels.
• Crops perform best in large, contiguous zones with minimal barriers to access or irrigation.
  
  

How Glint Solar helps: The platform allows developers to visually assess parcel shapes, cut out unworkable edges, and simulate buffer zones to ensure usable, compliant land areas.

Using Data Layers to Improve Site Qualification

Even the best instinct or on-the-ground scouting can’t compete with data when it comes to evaluating Agri-PV sites at scale. Developers working across multiple markets need tools that help them prioritize quickly, de-risk early, and screen out poor-fit parcels before engineering time is spent.

This is where data layers become essential, not just for solar feasibility, but for agro-technical evaluation as well.

You can watch the full version of this free on-demand webinar here.

High-performing developers are shifting from generic GIS workflows to targeted Agri-PV screening methods. That means combining:

• Solar irradiance and slope data
• Soil health and drainage maps
• Historical crop usage (e.g., France’s RPG dataset)
• Land zoning or conservation constraints
• Regulatory exclusion zones or pilot program areas

Seeing these factors together gives developers a clearer picture of what’s buildable, what’s cultivable, and what’s likely to face permitting pushback.

How Glint Solar Centralizes This in One Platform

Glint Solar was built with these workflows in mind. Instead of toggling between shape files, spreadsheets, and third-party GIS tools, developers can:

• Layer solar potential with terrain and land use data
• Flag parcels with incompatible topography or crop history
• Visualize where regulations or access limitations create project risk
• Export annotated layouts and evaluation snapshots to align internal and external teams

Avoiding False Positives in Site Selection

Even seasoned developers can fall into the trap of evaluating Agri-PV sites through a traditional PV lens. Below is a breakdown of where those assumptions often fail — and how to avoid missteps early using the right tools and criteria.

Final Evaluation Checklist for Agri-PV Developers

Before you commit to a parcel, use this checklist to ensure you’re evaluating land for both energy and agriculture.

Have you qualified the land for dual use and not just solar buildability?

• Have you layered in slope, soil, light, and drainage data?
• Is the parcel workable for either crops or grazing?

Is the site appropriate for your Agri-PV system type?

• For grazing: Can livestock access all zones? Is fencing feasible?
• For crops: Can tractors turn? Is the panel height and spacing compatible with light needs?

Have you tested the design parameters before sending it to engineering?

• Have you simulated elevation, azimuth, and row spacing with agricultural constraints in mind?
• Did you model multiple layout scenarios to compare trade-offs?

Are you using up-to-date land and regulatory data?

• Have you screened for exclusion zones, policy pilot areas, or ag protection overlays?
• Are you using regional data like France’s RPG or U.S. conservation maps?

Have you built stakeholder feedback into early evaluation?

• Have landowners reviewed proposed use plans and access paths?
• Have you validated assumptions with agronomic advisors or local farmers?

A Smarter Path to Dual-Use Feasibility

Agri-PV offers more than just land-use efficiency, it’s a strategic advantage in an increasingly constrained development landscape. But the complexity of qualifying land for both energy and agriculture means developers need more than standard prospecting tools and intuition.

The most successful teams today are de-risking their pipelines early by stacking terrain, soil, hydrology, and land use data in one integrated workflow. They’re comparing layout options before committing engineering hours. And they’re building stakeholder alignment long before construction begins.

Whether you're evaluating parcels in France’s RPG zones, adapting panel spacing for livestock access, or avoiding costly redesigns, Glint Solar helps you go from “possible” to “practical”, faster.