Agriculture is one of the largest energy consumers in the Antalya and Manavgat regions, with irrigation, greenhouses, cold storage and processing facilities running up enormous electricity bills. Agricultural solar — also called agrivoltaics — solves this problem elegantly: the same land generates both food and electricity, with the panels often enhancing crop performance by providing shade that reduces water stress and evapotranspiration.
Nexo Solar has designed and installed agricultural solar systems for citrus orchards, greenhouse complexes, vegetable farms and livestock operations across the Mediterranean coast. Our agrivoltaic designs are engineered specifically so that farming equipment can continue to operate beneath and around the panels without restriction.
For farms with significant land, a ground-mounted agrivoltaic system can entirely eliminate electricity bills for irrigation pumps, packing sheds, cold rooms and farm accommodation — while surplus generation can be sold back to the grid for additional income.
How Agricultural Solar Works
Elevated solar panels are installed at 3–5 metre height above the ground (suitable for tractor passage) or at standard ground mount height between crop rows. Panels generate electricity that directly powers farm operations during the day. Any surplus charges a battery bank (for night-time pump operation) or feeds back to the grid. IoT monitoring tracks both solar generation and energy consumption across the farm.
Agricultural Solar Applications
- Solar irrigation: Power water pumps directly from solar — no electricity cost for irrigation
- Greenhouse heating/cooling: Offset air conditioning and heating loads with on-site generation
- Cold storage: Keep produce cold at near-zero energy cost
- Farm buildings: Power packing sheds, workshops and accommodation
- Agrivoltaic crop growing: Shade-tolerant crops grown beneath elevated panels
- Animal husbandry: Power ventilation, lighting and milking equipment
Agrivoltaic Advantages for Antalya Farms
- Dual land use: food + energy production from the same area
- Partial shading can reduce water consumption by 15–30% for some crops
- Eliminates electricity cost for pumping (typically ₺100,000+/year on larger farms)
- Net metering or feed-in tariff income from surplus generation
- Protection against electricity price increases indefinitely
- Qualifies for agricultural investment incentives in some Turkish provinces
Installation Process
We begin with a detailed farm energy audit — cataloguing every load across your operation (pumps, cold rooms, greenhouses, outbuildings) and seasonal consumption patterns. We then design a system that matches your daytime loads as closely as possible to minimise battery requirements and maximise economic return.
Civil works include pile driving or concrete foundation installation with appropriate spacing for agricultural access. Electrical works connect the system to your farm's distribution board with automatic transfer switching to maintain operations during any inverter maintenance window.
Technical Specifications
- Standard panel height: 2.5 m (vehicle clearance) or 4 m (tractor clearance)
- Row spacing: minimum 6 m for tractor access, customised to row crops
- Pump inverters: Variable frequency drive (VFD) for direct solar-pump coupling
- Battery option: LiFePO4 for overnight pump operation
- Water flow rate maintained via smart pump controller
- System sizes: 30 kWp to 5 MWp depending on farm scale
Agricultural Solar ROI in Antalya
A typical greenhouse complex consuming 200,000 kWh/year can offset this with a 130 kWp rooftop + ground installation costing approximately ₺1.7 million. Annual saving of ₺700,000 (at ₺3.50/kWh) gives a payback of 2.4 years. Over 20 years, this represents over ₺14 million in cumulative savings — transforming the farm's financial profile.
Why Nexo Solar for Agricultural Projects
- Deep experience with Antalya's agricultural sector — citrus, tomatoes, flowers, tourism farms
- Agrivoltaic-specific mounting systems with full agricultural access
- VFD solar pump specialists — direct solar-to-pump without battery for maximum efficiency
- Full permitting for agricultural parcels including zoning checks
- Remote monitoring compatible with farm management systems
Free Farm Energy Audit
Our agricultural solar specialists will visit your farm, assess your energy loads and design a system that makes financial sense for your operation.
Agricultural Solar: Cut Your Farming Costs at the Root
Irrigation and greenhouse heating are among the largest cost items for farmers across Turkey. In the Antalya region, greenhouse growers, orchards and cut-flower producers pay tens of thousands of lira each month in electricity bills driven by water pumps, greenhouse heating and cold storage. An agricultural solar system eliminates most of these costs — and adds long-term value to the land itself.
Agricultural Solar Use Cases
- Irrigation pumps: Run three-phase and single-phase pumps directly on solar power (off-grid or grid-tied)
- Greenhouse power & heating: Lighting, ventilation and heating systems for greenhouses
- Cold storage: Refrigeration energy to preserve produce after harvest
- Agrivoltaics (dual use): Farming and energy generation on the same land
- Utility-scale land lease: Earn passive income by leasing idle land to energy developers
Solar Irrigation Pump Systems: The Technical Detail
There are two core configurations for agricultural pump systems:
- Off-grid pump drive (solar VFD): No grid connection required — a variable frequency drive synchronises pump motor speed with solar output. A direct panel + VFD + pump connection is possible with no battery at all
- On-grid pump + net meter: A grid-connected system where panels run during the day and the grid covers night-time draw, capturing the consumption-offset benefit of net metering
- Typical payback for irrigation pump systems is 18–24 months — among the fastest-returning investments anywhere in the agricultural sector
The Antalya Greenhouse Belt: Why Solar Is Critical
Antalya province accounts for more than thirty percent of Turkey's total greenhouse output. Kemer, Kumluca, Finike and Serik are among the most intensive protected-cultivation districts on the Mediterranean. Growers here consume heavily in winter for heating and lighting, and again in summer for irrigation. This year-round, two-peak demand profile aligns perfectly with Antalya's uninterrupted solar generation, pushing agricultural solar investment well past the threshold of attractiveness.
Agrivoltaics: Generation and Farming on the Same Land
An agrivoltaic (dual-use farming-and-solar) system mounts panels at a calculated height above the field, so the land produces energy while crops still receive enough sunlight to grow. Research shows that shade-tolerant crops — lettuce, spinach, strawberries and certain fruit saplings — can cut water consumption by up to thirty percent under agrivoltaic arrays. That is a serious operational advantage during periods of water scarcity. We provide an agrivoltaic feasibility analysis tailored to your land and crop type.
TKDK and IPARD Grants for Agricultural Solar
From time to time, agricultural solar investments qualify for grant funding under the TKDK (Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution) and IPARD programmes. These grants typically cover between thirty and fifty percent of the approved investment as non-repayable support. Because grant windows and eligibility rules change, our advisors track the current support programmes and keep you informed.