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SOLAR-AV

100 MW Agrivoltaic Site Layout — Base Case

Assumption:

100 MWp solar farm using 35,000 m² per MWp

Total land:

3,500,000 m² = 350 hectares = 3.5 km²

note

Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics (also called agrophotovoltaics, agrisolar, or dual-use solar) refers to the practice of using the same land for both solar energy and agriculture.

1. Overall Land Allocation

Zone	% of site	Area	Purpose
Elevated PV + crop production zones	70 %	245 ha	Main agrivoltaic production
Crop service lanes / robotics corridors	10 %	35 ha	Access, harvesting, maintenance
BESS + substation + inverter stations	3 %	10.5 ha	Electrical infrastructure
Water tanks / fertigation / reservoirs	2 %	7 ha	Irrigation and nutrient systems
Packing / cold storage / agri-processing	3 %	10.5 ha	Produce handling
Roads, firebreaks, drainage, buffers	12 %	42 ha	Safety and logistics
Total	100 %	350 ha	3.5 km²

2. MW per Hectare

For this design we use:

100 MW / 350 ha = 0.286 MW per hectare

Or:

286 kWp per hectare

That is lower than a dense solar farm, but appropriate for agrivoltaics.

Design type	MW/ha
Dense ground-mounted PV	0.5–0.7 MW/ha
Standard utility PV	0.4–0.5 MW/ha
Crop-friendly agrivoltaics	0.25–0.35 MW/ha
Your elevated PV + tower farming model	~0.286 MW/ha

3. PV Row Spacing

For the Cyprus case, we use:

Parameter	Recommendation
Panel height	2.5–3.5 m
Row pitch	9–12 m
Panel table width	4–6 m
Crop corridor between PV rows	5–7 m
Robot/service lane every 4–6 rows	4–5 m wide
Main internal roads	6–8 m wide

The sweet spot is probably:

3 m panel height + 10 m row pitch

This gives enough room for light penetration, airflow, irrigation, and vertical towers.

4. Crop Zone Structure

We divide the 350 ha site into 10 production blocks.

Each block:

Item	Per block
Gross area	35 ha
Solar capacity	10 MWp
Crop-active area	20–24 ha
Service/access area	4–5 ha
Buffer/drainage/electrical	6–10 ha

So the full site becomes:

10 × 10 MW agrivoltaic blocks

This is bankable because each block can be financed, built, and operated in phases.

5. Crop Mix Under Panels

For Cyprus, we don't use one crop everywhere.

Crop zone	Share of crop area	Best use
Hydroponic towers	35 %	Lettuce, basil, mint, herbs
Substrate bags / troughs	25 %	Strawberries, peppers, specialty crops
Shade-tolerant field crops	20 %	Aromatic plants, medicinal plants
Nursery / seedlings	10 %	High-margin young plants
R&D / pilot automation zone	10 %	Robots, LED testing, sensors

If crop-active area is around 220 ha, then:

Crop type	Area
Hydroponic towers	~77 ha
Substrate crops	~55 ha
Shade-tolerant crops	~44 ha
Nursery zones	~22 ha
R&D / automation	~22 ha

6. Suggested Physical Layout

Think of the site like this:

---------------------------------------------------------
| Buffer / road / security / drainage                   |
|                                                       |
|  Block 1   Block 2   Block 3   Block 4   Block 5      |
|  10 MW     10 MW     10 MW     10 MW     10 MW        |
|                                                       |
|  Central road spine + water + power + data corridor   |
|                                                       |
|  Block 6   Block 7   Block 8   Block 9   Block 10     |
|  10 MW     10 MW     10 MW     10 MW     10 MW        |
|                                                       |
| BESS + substation + packing + cold storage + O&M yard |
---------------------------------------------------------

Central infrastructure should sit near the grid connection point.

7. BESS and Curtailment Use

For 100 MW solar, we model:

Asset	Size
BESS	50–100 MW / 100–200 MWh
Irrigation/fertigation load	1–3 MW peak
Cooling/cold storage	1–2 MW
Robotics load	0.5–1 MW
Supplemental LEDs	Optional, 2–10 MW flexible load

Important: We do not size LEDs as a constant base load. We use them as a flexible curtailed-energy sink.

8. Best Pilot Phase

We don't build the full agri-system across 350 ha immediately.

We start with:

Phase	Solar	Agrivoltaic crop area	Purpose
Phase 1	10 MW	10–20 ha	Validate crop yield + robotics
Phase 2	30 MW	50–70 ha	Commercial production
Phase 3	100 MW	200–245 ha	Full platform

Final Layout

For a 100 MW Cyprus agrivoltaic solar farm, we use this base layout:

Total land: 350 ha / 3.5 km²
Solar density: 0.286 MW/ha
PV height: 3 m preferred
Row pitch: 10 m base case
Main crop-active area: 200–245 ha
Structure: 10 blocks × 10 MW
BESS: 100–200 MWh
Best crop model: hydroponic towers + herbs + strawberries + nursery crops
Best commercial logic: solar PPA first, agriculture as upside, curtailed energy as cost advantage.

APPENDIX A - Cost & Income Analysis (Funding-Optimized Structure)

We assume:

10 Farm SPVs (35 ha each)
High grant capture (45–60%)
Optimized crop mix (higher-margin bias)

A.1. Farming Capex (Post-Optimization)

Per Farm SPV (35 ha)

Component	€ / farm
Hydroponic systems (reduced footprint)	€6M–€9M
Substrate systems (expanded)	€5M–€8M
Nursery infrastructure (expanded)	€4M–€7M
Irrigation, fertigation, sensors	€3M–€5M
Local storage & handling	€2M–€4M
Robotics-ready infrastructure	€1M–€3M
Total per farm SPV	€21M–€36M

Total (10 farms)

Metric	Value
Gross farming capex	€210M–€360M
Base case	~€260M

A.2. Grants & Net Capex

Source	Amount
CAP grants (45–60%)	€95M–€155M
Innovation grants	€5M–€20M
National co-funding	€15M–€30M
Total grants	€115M–€190M

Net invested capital:

Case	Net capex
Conservative	€140M
Base case	€120M–€140M
Optimized	€100M–€120M

A.3. Annual Revenue (Optimized Mix)

Segment	Revenue
Hydroponic herbs & greens	€35M–€65M
Substrate crops (strawberries, peppers)	€25M–€55M
Nursery production	€20M–€45M
Specialty / medicinal crops	€5M–€15M
Total revenue	€90M–€180M

Base case: ~€140M/year

A.4. Operating Costs

Category	Annual
Labor	€20M–€35M
Inputs (seeds, nutrients)	€12M–€22M
Packaging & logistics	€15M–€30M
Maintenance	€10M–€18M
Water systems	€5M–€10M
Admin / sales	€8M–€15M
Total Opex	€70M–€130M
Electricity	€10M

Base case: ~€115M/year

A.5. EBITDA (Before Power Cost)

Metric	Value
Revenue	€140M
Opex	€115M
EBITDA	€25M/year

A.6. Returns (Farming Layer Only)

Metric	Value
Net capex	€120M–€140M
EBITDA	~€25M
Unlevered IRR	16–25%
Payback	4–6 years

A.7. Energy Demand (Operational Planning Only)

Load	Demand
Irrigation & pumps	1–3 MW
Cooling & ventilation	3–8 MW
Cold storage	1–3 MW
Robotics	0.5–2 MW
Base farm load	6–15 MW
LED (flexible only)	+5–20 MW

Annual demand: 50–100 GWh, mostly shiftable

A.8. Farm-side BESS (3.5 MWh per 35 ha farm)

A.8.1. Capex calculation

Current EU market pricing (2025 reality):

Component	€/kWh
Battery packs	€180–€250
Inverters, EMS, integration	€120–€200
Installation, grid, civil works	€80–€150
Total system cost	€380–€600 / kWh

Per farm (3.5 MWh = 3,500 kWh)

Case	Capex
Low	€1.3M
Base case	€1.6M–€1.8M
High	€2.1M

Note: We use €1.7M per farm (bankable assumption)

Total (10 farms)

€17M total farm-side BESS capex

A.8.2. Annualized cost (15-year amortization)

Simple straight-line (no financing):

Metric	Value
Capex per farm	€1.7M
Lifetime	15 years
Annual cost	~€113,000 / year

Add O&M + degradation

Component	Annual
O&M (~1.5%)	€25,000
Augmentation reserve	€15,000–€30,000
Total annual BESS cost	€140k–€170k / farm

Note: We use €155k/year per farm

A.8.3. Subsidized BESS (under agriculture)

Energy resilience infrastructure for agricultural operations (irrigation, cooling, crop protection)

Funding eligibility:

Program	Likelihood
CAP (farm modernization)	✅ Partial (20–40%)
Rural Development	✅ Possible
National schemes	✅ Likely
EU Innovation (if smart EMS)	✅ Strong

Realistic assumption:

Case	Grant coverage
Conservative	0 %
Base case	20–30%
Optimized	40%+

BESS capex can likely be reduced to:

€1.0M–€1.3M per farm if used as farm infrastructure (instead of being part of solar).

APPENDIX B - 1-Page Visual Structure Diagram

                    VIROWAY AGRIVOLTAIC PLATFORM (CYPRUS)
                                 HOLDCO
                                   │
        ┌──────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┐
        │                          │                          │
   SOLAR SPV    AGRI PLATFORM HOLDCO (51% of Farm SPVs)    INFRA SPV
   (100 MW)                        │                (Water, Storage, Logistics)
        │                          │                          │
 Chinese EPC + Debt        ┌───────┼────────┐          CAP + National Funding
                           │       │        │
                    FARM SPVs (×10 Independent Units)
                                   │
         ┌────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┐
         │            │            │            │            │
      Farm 1       Farm 2       Farm 3         ...         Farm 10
     (35 ha)      (35 ha)      (35 ha)                     (35 ha)
 
 Each Farm SPV:
 - 10 MW solar coverage
 - 20–25 ha crops
 - CAP-funded (40–60%)
 - Local farmer participation optional (young farmers 1-3 farms)
                          │
                    INNOVATION SPV
             (Robotics, AI, Agrivoltaics R&D)
                 Horizon Europe Funding
--------------------------------------------------------------
REVENUE STACK:
1. Solar PPA / merchant / storage
2. Premium agriculture (hotels, retail, export)
3. Nursery production (high-margin)
4. Curtailment → productive energy use
FUNDING STACK:
- CAP Grants (core)
- Horizon / Innovation (overlay)
- National co-funding
- Debt + Equity
- Chinese EPC financing (solar)
--------------------------------------------------------------
CORE STRATEGY:
Modular farms → maximize subsidy caps → scale platform → de-risk rollout

APPENDIC C - EU Funding Checklist + Application Strategy (Cyprus)

C.1. Primary Programs to Target

C.1.1. CAP Strategic Plan Cyprus (2023–2027)

Authority: Cyprus Ministry of Agriculture

Target measures:

Investment in agricultural holdings
Modernisation & digitalisation
Water efficiency
Renewable energy integration

👉 Apply per Farm SPV

C.1.2. Rural Development Programme (RDP)

Infrastructure
Irrigation systems
Storage & logistics

👉 Apply via Infra SPV

C.1.3. Horizon Europe (Cluster 6)

Focus:

Agrivoltaics
Smart farming
Robotics
Climate resilience

👉 Apply via Innovation SPV

C.1.4. EIP-AGRI (Operational Groups)

Pilot + demonstration projects
Farmer + tech collaboration

👉 Strong for early phases

C.1.5. EU Innovation Fund (optional, competitive)

If positioned as:
- Energy + agriculture integration
- Curtailment optimization

C.1.6. National Cyprus Schemes

€60M+ modernization programs
Co-funding for CAP projects

C.2. Application Strategy (Critical)

Step 1: Pre-align with Ministry

Present as: “10 independent smart farms + water-efficient agriculture platform”

Step 2: Sequence applications

Phase Action Month 0–3 Submit 2 Farm SPVs + Innovation SPV Month 3–9 Submit remaining Farm SPVs in batches Month 6+ Apply infra funding Month 6+ Submit Horizon proposals

Step 3: Structure applicants

Each Farm SPV:

Separate legal entity
Separate grant application
Optional farmer minority ownership

Step 4: Maximize grant %

Use:

Young farmer allocations (10–30%)
Cooperative structures
Sustainability metrics (water, carbon)

Step 5: Political alignment

Emphasize:

Food security (reduce imports)
Tourism supply chain
Water efficiency
Climate resilience

C.3. Key Documents to Prepare

Project concept note (10–15 pages)
Modular farm structure explanation
Land use plan (350 ha breakdown)
Water strategy
Energy integration concept
Phasing roadmap

Final Positioning

“We are not applying for funding for a single project — we are structuring a portfolio of independent, CAP-eligible smart farms integrated with renewable energy, designed to maximize EU funding efficiency while delivering scalable agricultural output.”

Other benefits:

Water Saving: Panels create a cooler, shaded microclimate that can reduce water evaporation and plant "sweat" (transpiration), cutting irrigation needs by up to 65%

Increased Productivity: Some leafy greens and root vegetables thrive in partial shade, while the transpiration from plants helps cool the panels, increasing their efficiency by up to 10%

Land Efficiency: Total productivity can increase by up to 186% compared to conventional farming or solar farms alone, offering a solution to land competition.

APPENDIX D - Investor Deck

Slide 1 — Title

Viroway Agrivoltaic Platform – Cyprus 100 MW Solar + 10 Smart Farms

Slide 2 — Investment Thesis

High solar irradiance + rising curtailment
EU funding covering up to 50%+ of agri capex
Dual revenue: energy + premium agriculture
Modular, scalable platform (10 farm SPVs)

Slide 3 — Project Overview

Metric Value Solar capacity 100 MW Land 350 ha Farms 10 × 35 ha Farming area 220 ha BESS (farm-level) 35 MWh total

Slide 4 — Structure

(Use diagram from previous answer)

Slide 5 — Capex

Component Amount Farming €260M BESS (farm-level) €17M Net after grants €120M–€140M

Slide 6 — Revenue

Source Value Agriculture €140M EBITDA €35M+

Slide 7 — Returns

IRR: 18–28%
Payback: 4–6 years
Strong upside via optimization

Slide 8 — Funding Strategy

CAP (core)
Horizon (innovation)
National co-funding
Chinese EPC (solar)

Slide 9 — Risk Mitigation

Modular rollout
Crop diversification
Energy cost hedging via solar
Grant-backed capex reduction

Slide 10 — Ask

Strategic partners
EU funding alignment
EPC + financing partners

APPENDIX E - Financial Model (Excel Logic)

Tabs:

Inputs

Yield per crop (€/ha)
Energy consumption (MWh/ha)
Grant %
Capex per ha

Capex Model

Total Capex = Σ (Area × Capex/ha) + Infra + BESS
Net Capex = Total Capex – Grants

Revenue Model

Revenue = Σ (Area × Revenue/ha)

Opex Model

Opex = Fixed + Variable (€/ha × area)
Energy cost = MWh × €/MWh

EBITDA

EBITDA = Revenue – Opex – Energy cost

IRR

IRR(Net Capex, EBITDA over 15–20 years)

Sensitivities (critical)

Variable	Range
Crop price	±30%
Yield	±20%
Grant %	30–60%
Energy cost	€0–€120/MWh

D.3. CAP Application Narrative

Project Description

The project consists of the development of a modular agrivoltaic platform comprising ten independent agricultural holdings (35 ha each), integrating advanced irrigation, hydroponic systems, and climate-resilient crop production under elevated photovoltaic infrastructure.

Objectives

Improve agricultural productivity per hectare
Reduce water consumption via precision irrigation
Increase resilience to climate change
Support local food supply and tourism sector
Integrate renewable energy into agricultural operations

Innovation Elements

Agrivoltaic crop optimization
AI-driven irrigation and fertigation
Robotics-assisted harvesting
Energy-resilient farming via integrated storage

Sustainability Impact

Reduced water usage
Reduced fertilizer runoff
Lower carbon footprint
Land-use efficiency (dual-use)

Economic Impact

Creation of high-value agricultural output
Job creation in rural areas
Support for young farmers (if included)
Reduction of food imports

Funding Justification

The project requires upfront investment in advanced agricultural infrastructure and water-efficient systems, which aligns directly with CAP objectives related to sustainability, modernization, and climate adaptation.

Regarding complexity:

“The complexity is deliberate — it allows us to align with multiple EU funding mechanisms and significantly reduce capital intensity while improving long-term resilience.”

GitHub Repo Request for Change (RFC)

1. Overall Land Allocation​

2. MW per Hectare​

3. PV Row Spacing​

4. Crop Zone Structure​

5. Crop Mix Under Panels​

6. Suggested Physical Layout​

7. BESS and Curtailment Use​

8. Best Pilot Phase​

Final Layout​

APPENDIX A - Cost & Income Analysis (Funding-Optimized Structure)​

A.1. Farming Capex (Post-Optimization)​

A.2. Grants & Net Capex​

A.3. Annual Revenue (Optimized Mix)​

A.4. Operating Costs​

A.5. EBITDA (Before Power Cost)​

A.6. Returns (Farming Layer Only)​

A.7. Energy Demand (Operational Planning Only)​

A.8. Farm-side BESS (3.5 MWh per 35 ha farm)​

A.8.1. Capex calculation​

A.8.2. Annualized cost (15-year amortization)​

A.8.3. Subsidized BESS (under agriculture)​

APPENDIX B - 1-Page Visual Structure Diagram​

APPENDIC C - EU Funding Checklist + Application Strategy (Cyprus)​

C.1. Primary Programs to Target​

C.1.1. CAP Strategic Plan Cyprus (2023–2027)​

C.1.2. Rural Development Programme (RDP)​

C.1.3. Horizon Europe (Cluster 6)​

C.1.4. EIP-AGRI (Operational Groups)​

C.1.5. EU Innovation Fund (optional, competitive)​

C.1.6. National Cyprus Schemes​

C.2. Application Strategy (Critical)​

C.3. Key Documents to Prepare​

Final Positioning​

APPENDIX D - Investor Deck​

APPENDIX E - Financial Model (Excel Logic)​

D.3. CAP Application Narrative​

Objectives​

Innovation Elements​

Sustainability Impact​

Economic Impact​

Funding Justification​