Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun: "A Model for 'Sunlight Income Villages' Nationwide"... First Agrivoltaics Project Launched in the Capital Area

Hwaseong City Cooperative Led by 70% Resident Participation
1 MW Solar Facility to Be Built on 2.4 Hectares
Profits to Be Returned to Village Community Fund
Funds to Support Elderly Welfare and Environmental Improvements
PPA Completion by October, Commercial Operation Begins in November

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun, has taken its first step in launching a community-driven "agrivoltaics" project, where residents can farm while generating electricity through solar power.

Jeong Myeonggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City (third from left), and Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, are breaking ground at the "Pilot Project for Agro-Floating Solar Power in the Seoul Metropolitan Area" held on the 13th at Sagotri, Seosin-myeon, Manse-gu. Provided by Hwaseong Special City

On August 13, Hwaseong City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Pilot Project for Agro-Solar Power Generation in the Seoul Metropolitan Area" at Sagot-ri, Seosin-myeon, Manse-gu. The event was attended by Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Jeong Myeonggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong, officials from Gyeonggi Province, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Korea Energy Agency, and approximately 50 local residents.

Agrivoltaics is an approach where solar power generation facilities are installed above cultivated farmland, allowing for both crop production and electricity generation simultaneously. This method, which enables farmland to be preserved while creating new revenue sources for farmers, is gaining attention as a future business model for rural communities.

The Sagot-ri project was initiated after being selected, along with Songjuk Village in Anseong, as a target site for the metropolitan area pilot program in a contest held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the end of last year. Solar facilities with a capacity of 1 MW will be installed on approximately 2.4 hectares of land. Hwaseong City plans to complete construction and sign a power supply contract by October, with commercial operation scheduled to begin in November.

The project is being led not by an external company, but by the Sagot Social Cooperative, which was established by residents. Out of the 169 households in the village, 119 are participating, resulting in a resident approval rate of 70%.

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City, is listening to explanations from officials while touring the pilot project site for agrivoltaic solar power on the 13th with Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Photo provided by Hwaseong City

The profits from power generation will not be distributed to individuals but instead will be accumulated as a communal fund for the village. These funds are earmarked to be used for welfare programs for the elderly, improvements to the village environment, and joint community projects. The aim is to create what is being called a "Sunlight Income Village," where the benefits of the solar project are shared among all residents.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, a town hall meeting was held at the Sagot-ri Community Center. Minister Song and Mayor Jeong listened to the challenges residents experienced during the project’s process and discussed possible policy reforms to further promote the spread of agrivoltaics.

During the meeting, Hwaseong City proposed to the government the institutionalization of profit-sharing and equity participation systems for tenant farmers, provision of alternative farmland and compensation for farming losses, decommissioning of obsolete agricultural infrastructure, and approval for the non-agricultural use of farmland for the installation of solar power facilities.

Hwaseong City reiterated in the meeting that, to protect farmers' rights and eliminate regulatory barriers throughout the implementation process, the government should institutionalize profit-sharing and equity participation for tenant farmers, provide alternative farmland and compensation for agricultural losses, abolish the purposes of disused irrigation ditches and other infrastructure, and approve the installation of solar power facilities for non-agricultural purposes.

Jung Myung-geun, Special Mayor of Hwaseong, and Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, among others, are taking a commemorative photo after a groundbreaking demonstration at the trial establishment ceremony of the metropolitan area agro-photovoltaic system held on the 13th in Sagot-ri, Seosin-myeon, Manse-gu. Provided by Hwaseong City

Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun stated, "This is a project where residents themselves take the lead, preserving farmland while sharing the profits from solar power with the local community. We will actively support Sagot-ri so that it can become a model 'Sunlight Income Village' not only in the metropolitan area but throughout the country."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.