The Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park recently held a public meeting in Saint-Mathieu on Saturday, September 12, to clarify the stakes of agrivoltaics. Called upon by the municipality, the Park, represented by its vice-president Jean Le Goff and its project manager Muriel Lehericy, outlined its technical role in supporting renewable energy projects.
Current regulations define agrivoltaics as the installation of photovoltaic panels on agricultural land, provided that it sustainably contributes to agricultural production, which must remain the primary activity of the plot. The installation must also be reversible. The goal is to reconcile agricultural production, renewable energy generation, landscape preservation, and the protection of natural and agricultural heritage.
The Park provides expertise and an advisory opinion on renewable energy projects, but it does not issue urban planning permits, which fall under the authority of the prefect for installations where the energy produced is not primarily intended for direct use by the applicant. Its role is therefore focused on expertise, support, and assistance in considering territorial issues.
In analyzing submitted projects, the Park pays particular attention to their landscape integration and potential impacts on natural heritage, ecological continuities, and agricultural spaces. It examines proximity to protected areas, green and blue corridors, the presence of natural meadows, biodiversity issues, and the landscape and agronomic characteristics of the areas concerned.
These projects must also be consistent with the orientations of the Park's charter and plan. The charter, which defines protection, enhancement, and development orientations, is currently under revision for the period 2026-2041. The Park recommends early involvement in the project conception phase.
