Agritree

Agritree, founded in July 2018 by Koji Nishi, is a Japanese company specializing in solar sharing, also known as agrivoltaics, which combines solar power generation with farming on the same land. The company provides comprehensive, end-to-end services including project development, consulting, system design, procurement, construction, and ongoing operation and maintenance for solar sharing projects.

The founder, Koji Nishi, was born in Tokyo in 1983 and holds a degree from Keio University's Faculty of Commerce. After working in sales and marketing at Nissin Foods in Japan and India, he was inspired to enter the food and agriculture sector. He encountered the concept of solar sharing in Sōsa City, Chiba Prefecture, which led him to establish Agritree. His mission is to create a future where food and energy are sustainable for subsequent generations.

Agritree's business model is designed to revitalize agriculture and local communities by providing farmers with a stable secondary income from electricity sales, supplementing often unstable agricultural revenues. This approach helps address social issues like the declining number of agricultural workers in Japan. The company works with a variety of clients, including farmers, local governments, and corporations, on projects ranging from small-scale on-site consumption systems to large-scale power plants for selling electricity. In addition to its core solar sharing business, Agritree is involved in producing and processing agricultural products grown on these farms—such as rice, sweet potatoes, and shiitake mushrooms—into value-added goods like ice cream and sake. The company is also expanding its operations internationally, with demonstration projects in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Keywords: agrivoltaics, solar sharing, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, EPC services, community revitalization, agricultural technology, project development, O&M services, rural development, clean energy, food security, decarbonization, dual-use farming, farmland solar, energy consulting, sustainable farming, power generation, crop cultivation, community energy