Where solar energy and agriculture meet

Agrivoltaics, also called agrophotovoltaics, combines photovoltaic generation and farming on the same plot. The key is intentional design: panel height, spacing and tilt are chosen with the crop, livestock or pollinators in mind.

Common configurations

• Elevated: high panels; machinery or livestock pass underneath.
• Vertical bifacial: vertical rows that leave the field open between them.
• Inter-row: crops between and under the panels.
• Grazing: animals under the panels.
• Solar greenhouse: modules built into the roof.

What the evidence says

• In a trial in Arizona, under panels, cherry tomato yield doubled and chiltepin tripled; jalapeño yielded the same with 65% less transpiration water loss (Barron-Gafford et al., Nature Sustainability, 2019).
• Fraunhofer ISE reports land-use efficiencies of up to 186% compared with separating crops and solar plants.
• Mexico receives on average about 5.5 kWh/m² of solar irradiation per day (Global Solar Atlas).

Results depend on the site, crop, climate and design. That is why AMAYAD promotes pilots, data and good practice rather than promises.

• IoT sensors: soil moisture and temperature, weather and radiation, in real time.
• Drones and satellite imagery: vegetation indices (NDVI) to detect stress, pests or water shortage.
• GIS: maps to choose sites, plan plots and analyse regions.
• Artificial intelligence and digital twins: models that help forecast yields and simulate designs.
• Precision agriculture and traceability: apply only what is needed, where it is needed, and document it.

Why together with agrivoltaics? Because the microclimate changes under the panels: measuring light, moisture and yield is the only way to know what works at each site. That is why AMAYAD brings both worlds together.

AMAYAD is a non-profit civil association founded in 2024 by Luis Alfonso Escobedo and Roberto Moreno Castillo, headquartered in Mexico City. It is a meeting point for solar energy companies, farmers and growers, food and digital agriculture companies, academia and government.

We are not a developer and we do not sell projects: we build an ecosystem, share knowledge and promote good practice so that agrivoltaics can grow in Mexico.

• Food security: energy without taking land out of food production.
• Lower emissions: solar power replacing fossil energy.
• Water: partial shade can reduce evaporation and irrigation demand.
• Extra income: energy sales, land lease or self-consumption.
• Clean energy on the farm: pumping, irrigation, cooling and processing.
• More resilient crops: a milder microclimate in extreme heat.

Qualitative benefits; they depend on the site, crop and system design.

Mission

To promote innovation and technology in Mexican agriculture so it produces more, efficiently and sustainably, by integrating agrivoltaics, precision agriculture and digital tools.

Vision

A Mexico that leads in large-scale agrivoltaics adoption, creating rural jobs and improving energy and food self-sufficiency.

1. Integrate farming and solar energy and drive agrivoltaics adoption.
2. Foster research with academic institutions and research centres.
3. Shape public policy towards suitable regulation.
4. Train and educate through workshops, seminars and courses.
5. Build partnerships between farmers, solar companies and others.
6. Develop pilot projects such as Dachimilco.
7. Support sustainability and responsible innovation.

Legal name

Asociación Mexicana de Agrivoltaics y Agricultura Digital A.C.

Headquarters

Mexico City

Founded

2024

Tax address

Virginia 45, Col. Parque San Andrés, C.P. 04040, Coyoacán, Mexico City

Bodies

• General Assembly: the highest body, under the bylaws.
• Working committees: open to members (see Programs).

Names will be published only once confirmed.

Defined by two key factors: solar radiation (energy production) and farm business models (type of digital monitoring and level of capitalisation).

• 1. NorthwestSinaloa, Sonora, Baja California, Baja California SurCoordination: To be defined
• 2. Arid NorthChihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, ZacatecasCoordination: To be defined
• 3. NortheastNuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis PotosíCoordination: To be defined
• 4. West / BajíoJalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Colima, Nayarit, Querétaro*, Aguascalientes*Coordination: To be defined
• 5. Centre / High ValleysEstado de México, Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Ciudad de México*Coordination: To be defined
• 6. South - Gulf - PeninsulaVeracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, GuerreroCoordination: To be defined

• 2024 Luis Alfonso Escobedo and Roberto Moreno Castillo found AMAYAD.
• 2026 Programs being formed: ambassadors, young farmers and committees. Dachimilco opens tours, courses and company activations.
• 24 Nov 2026 Launch of “Cosechando el Sol Dos Veces” and of the public-policy initiative.

• Connections: solar companies, growers, digital agriculture, academia and government in one space.
• A voice in the sector: take part in technical and policy committees, including the agrivoltaics initiative.
• Knowledge: newsletter, library and webinars on agrivoltaics and digital agriculture.
• Training: preferential terms at events and courses, which count toward the AMAYAD Certificate.
• Real fields: access to our living lab Dachimilco.

Benefits rolled out progressively; per-tier details in the Tiers table.

Tiers in Mexico · Campo-Sol theme

Founding members: 30% off the first-year fee until launch. Every tier, including Community, gets access to the Discord community and to AgriVolt with up to 5 free questions per session. Every tier gets the newsletter, member-only “Campo Abierto” webinars and data from the agrivoltaic pilots network. Semilla requires a valid student ID. Annual fees in Mexican pesos (MXN).

International

• International individualProfessionals outside Mexico.
  Annual feeUSD 150
• International companyCompanies outside Mexico (small, medium or large).
  Annual feeUSD 250

• Policy voice: internal consultations on the agrivoltaics initiative for Mexico; upper tiers join technical sessions with CNE, SENER and SADER.
• Pilots network: data for all members; farmers can nominate their land and Sol Doble companies co-design pilots.
• Member-only “Campo Abierto” webinars from Dachimilco, counting toward the AMAYAD Certificate.
• Discord and AgriVolt for everyone: every tier, including Community, gets access to the Discord community and to AgriVolt with up to 5 free questions per session.
• “Cosechando el Sol Dos Veces” as ebook or print depending on tier.
• Visibility: member companies and associations shown with logo on the site (opt-in).
• Committees: farmers, technical, public policy and young farmers.

Member companies and associations that agree to appear on the site will be shown here. The member directory is private and individuals are not listed.

Universities and research centres join as an Academic alliance to collaborate on research, training and public policy. Each alliance is formalised in writing; being listed on this site requires permission.

Sponsorship of events, courses and Dachimilco; institutional, academic and media partnerships. Terms on request.

We only list partners with written permission and never use logos without permission.

Three training areas: agrivoltaics, digital agriculture and digital urban gardens.

• Introduction to agrivoltaics Dachimilco · online
• Design and sizing basics online
• Crops under panels Dachimilco
• Digital agriculture: drones and sensors Dachimilco · online
• Digital urban garden Dachimilco · online
• Water and chinampa systems Dachimilco
• Public policy, subsidies and incentives online
• Field day / guided visit Dachimilco

Every course counts toward the AMAYAD Certificate (3 or more courses).

Pilot course

“Digital urban garden”, in preparation

1. Choose your courses from the catalogue (in person at Dachimilco or online).
2. Complete 3 or more courses.
3. Receive your AMAYAD Certificate.

Certificate issued by AMAYAD as a civil association; it is not an official degree or a SEP/CONOCER competency certification.

• Institutional relations and international affairs
• Solar and agriculture integration
• Regulatory affairs and good practice
• Research, development and food intelligence
• Communication and events
• GIS and technology integration
• Women in Agrivoltaics: training, opportunities and leadership for women in farming, energy and digital agriculture.

To apply, write to us.

Awareness, engagement and credibility: ambassadors represent AMAYAD, give talks, connect solar people with farming people and create sector content in their region.

Who can apply: growers and technicians, solar professionals, students and researchers, AgTech founders and community leaders.

Training, field visits, mentoring and exchanges between regions. Roles: ambassadors, mentors and innovators.

Activities depend on partnerships and funding that will be announced once confirmed.

Mexico does not yet have a legal definition or a specific framework for agrivoltaics. AMAYAD is developing a public-policy initiative to be presented on 24 November 2026.

International references

• Germany: DIN SPEC 91434 standard
• France: APER law (2023) and Decree 2024-318
• Japan: Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) permits
• Italy: Environment Ministry (MASE, 2022) guidelines

• “Cosechando el Sol Dos Veces” by Luis Alfonso Escobedo. Launch: 24 Nov 2026.
• Agrivoltaics handbook for Mexico (in preparation).

Luis Alfonso Escobedo, AMAYAD co-founder, presents his book on agrivoltaics and digital agriculture. The same session presents the agrivoltaics public-policy initiative for Mexico that AMAYAD is developing.

Date

24 November 2026

Time

Venue

To be defined

Add to calendar (.ics)

AMAYAD is planning a congress bringing together the solar industry, farmers, digital agriculture, academia and government.

Date

Date to be defined

Time

Venue

To be defined

Details in the Dachimilco tab.

Tell us your idea through the contact form.

Exhibiting companies: will be announced with their permission.

Guided tours of the chinampa for groups, schools, growers and the general public: what agrivoltaics is, how the system was designed and what grows under the panels.

Bookings

Via WhatsApp

Hands-on workshops next to a real agrivoltaic system. Planned topics:

• Introduction to agrivoltaics
• Crops under panels
• Water and chinampa systems
• Digital agriculture: drones and sensors
• Digital urban garden

Audience

Growers, students, solar and farming professionals

They count toward the AMAYAD Certificate (3 or more courses). Full catalogue in Programs → Courses.

Dachimilco hosts companies for activations and team experiences around solar energy, traditional farming and sustainability. Each format is agreed with the company.

Contact

Via WhatsApp

AMAYAD's design compares three configurations over different crops, with control plots without panels:

• Fixed elevated structure: plenty of light and airflow.
• Tilted / single-axis tracker: intermittent partial shade.
• Vertical bifacial: captures light on both faces; alternating crop rows.

Crops considered: lettuce, broccoli, kale, berries, potato, wheat, rocket, dahlias and gladioli.

Digital agriculture: soil, weather and radiation sensors in the plots.

• Farming tradition: an ideal place to demonstrate agrivoltaics.
• Heritage: technology that supports and strengthens traditional practice.
• Education: community awareness of clean energy.
• Replicable: a model for other chinampas and peri-urban areas.

Coming soon. Meanwhile, ask about tours, courses and activations via WhatsApp.

Status

Planning

Location

Chinampa in Xochimilco, Mexico City (about 350 m from Embarcadero Cuemanco)

Crop

To be defined (species under evaluation)

Technology

Design comparing three configurations: fixed elevated structure, tilted or single-axis tracker and vertical bifacial, with sensors and control plots without panels

PV capacity

To be defined

Area

≈ 1 ha

Participants

AMAYAD · other participants [PENDIENTE]

Objective

Showroom for partner companies, data collection, research and teaching in one place.

Activities (tours, courses, workshops and activations) are already running; the PV system is in planning. More in <a href='#laboratorio'>Our living lab</a>.

Collaborate on this project

Status

Planning

Location

Bocas, San Luis Potosí (semi-arid highlands, ≈1,900 m)

Crop

Berries: blackberry, blueberry and raspberry

Technology

Three layouts plus a control plot: elevated bifacial canopy (75.4 kWp), east–west vertical bifacial (40.6 kWp), semi-transparent canopy (59.4 kWp) and a macro-tunnel control

PV capacity

175.4 kWp DC (design)

Area

≈ 4,000 m² (0.4 ha)

Participants

AgroWatts · AMAYAD

Objective

Compare yield, water and energy of each layout against the control, with a common data schema for the pilot network.

Design phase. Design figures, not operating data.

Collaborate on this project

Status

Planning

Location

Comalcalco, Tabasco (humid tropics)

Crop

Cocoa seedlings in a nursery

Technology

Three levels of PV coverage plus a conventional shade-net control

PV capacity

≈ 30–35 kWp (preliminary PVGIS estimate, ≈1,468 kWh/kWp per year)

Area

≈ 300 m²

Participants

AgroWatts · AMAYAD · local growers' cooperative (to be confirmed)

Objective

Measure seedling growth, light (PAR), leaf temperature, substrate moisture and mortality under different levels of PV shade.

Proposal in preparation; preliminary figures subject to validation.

Collaborate on this project

Mexico's Income Tax Law (LISR) allows a 100% deduction of investment in machinery and equipment that generates energy from renewable sources, such as solar panels, in the year of purchase.

• Condition: the equipment must remain in operation for at least 5 years after the deduction; otherwise, amended returns with surcharges are due.
• Applies to taxpayers with business activities; check your tax regime with your accountant.

Source: Income Tax Law, art. 34 sec. XIII (Chamber of Deputies)

• The Electricity Sector Law (DOF 18-03-2025) treats plants under 0.7 MW as distributed generation (previously 0.5 MW); as exempt generators they need no permit from the National Energy Commission (CNE).
• They are exempt from the Social Impact Statement, but not from environmental impact assessment where applicable.
• CFE interconnection: requested through procedure 360 on the Energy Single Window: 11 requirements; response in 13 business days without a study or 18 with one.

Sources: Electricity Sector Law (arts. 19, 25 and 137) · Energy Single Window: procedure 360

FIRA is Mexico's second-tier development bank for agriculture: it does not lend directly, but through banks and other financial intermediaries, and provides guarantees that make credit easier.

Under the Cosechando Soberanía program (SADER–FIRA), small and medium producers can access credit of up to MXN 1,300,000 per producer at a preferential rate of up to 8.5% per year, plus support for crop insurance and price hedging.

Credit may go to working capital or productive investment; whether a solar-related project qualifies depends on the intermediary and current rules.

Sources: FIRA: Cosechando Soberanía · FIRA: Cosechando Soberanía Fund

The Shared Risk Trust (FIRCO), part of SADER (Agriculture Ministry), has promoted renewable-energy and energy-efficiency projects in agribusiness: grid-connected PV systems, solar water heaters, biodigesters and efficient equipment.

We help you check whether there is an open call that fits your project.

Sources: FIRCO: Renewable energy and energy efficiency in Mexican agriculture (gob.mx) · FIRCO: Transparency

SADER social program that pays annual direct support (MXN 7,300 to 24,000 in 2026, depending on crop and area) to small and medium producers of grains, coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, nopal cactus and honey, among others.

• Requires registration in the Producer Register; new enrolments open through calls.
• It is not support for solar equipment, but it can complement the income of growers taking part in agrivoltaic projects.
• Information: 800 TU CAMPO (800 882 2676).

Sources: Programas para el Bienestar: Producción para el Bienestar · 2026 Operating Rules (DOF 30-12-2025)

The Special Energy Program for the Countryside grants preferential electricity tariffs (9-CU and 9-N) for irrigation pumping. SADER reported that in 2023 this support totalled MXN 14,711 million for 88,225 producers.

Why does it matter? If you already pay the subsidised farm tariff, the direct savings from solar panels are smaller than on a commercial tariff; profitability must be assessed case by case (self-consumption, surplus sales, other energy uses).

Source: SADER: Agricultural tariff (gob.mx)

1. Tell us about your project: location, crop, electricity use and estimated size.
2. We share which programs, incentives and procedures are usually relevant and what documents they ask for.
3. We connect you with community members and specialists (finance, tax, technical).

Write to us from Community → Contact choosing the topic “Subsidies and incentives: guidance”.

It does not replace professional tax, legal or financial advice.

An international server where people from solar energy, farming and digital agriculture share questions, projects, events and opportunities.

It is a global, independent community: not an official AMAYAD channel.

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AgriVolt is an AI assistant on Telegram that guides you in combining solar energy with crops and livestock. @AgriVoltBot

Answers are for guidance only; they do not replace technical advice from a specialist.

Open the bot on Telegram ↗

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Short Privacy Notice

AMAYAD (Asociación Mexicana de Agrivoltaics y Agricultura Digital A.C., tax address: Virginia 45, Col. Parque San Andrés, C.P. 04040, Coyoacán, Mexico City) is responsible for the data you send with this form: name, email, organisation, topic, profile and message. We do not collect sensitive data.

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