From Global to Local: Building a Policy Framework for Agrivoltaics in Chile Based on International Experiences

Regulative Analysis and Policy Recommendation

Abstract

Chile is experiencing growing interest in agrivoltaics (AV), a technology that integrates solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with agriculture to improve land-use efficiency and enhance climate resilience. Despite nine implemented AV projects, broader adoption remains limited due to regulatory, economic, research and social barriers. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Chile’s legislative ecosystem for AV, combining a review of international frameworks with stakeholder consultations and regulatory assessments. Key challenges include the absence of a legal definition for AV, restrictive land-use classifications, and a lack of mechanisms to monetize AV’s agricultural and environmental co-benefits. Drawing on best practices from Germany, France, Japan, and others, we formulate actionable policy recommendations tailored to Chilean conditions. These include the formal definition of AV, integration within land-use and environmental legislation, incentive structures to monetize AV synergies and targeted funding for research and innovation to create empirical local knowledge for policy. Our findings serve as a foundation for building an enabling policy framework for AV in Chile, offering guidance for public institutions and market actors. The study also identifies the need for further legal analysis and stakeholder engagement to ensure a target-orientated AV scale-up with low policy cost.