A new report from the IEA PVPS Task 13, titled “Dual Land Use for Agriculture and Solar Power Production: Overview and Performance of Agrivoltaic Systems,” lays out a compelling vision for how solar energy and agriculture can not only coexist but thrive together. With the increasing pressure to decarbonize the energy system while preserving arable land and biodiversity, agrivoltaics is quickly becoming a vital pathway towards sustainable development.
One solution to two crises
Agrivoltaics, the practice of co-locating photovoltaic (PV) systems and agricultural activity, addresses two critical challenges: the demand for clean energy and the preservation of fertile farmland. As ground-mounted PV installations often draw criticism for occupying agricultural land, agrivoltaics offers a win-win alternative.
As the report emphasizes, agrivoltaics can bolster agricultural resilience in the face of climate change by shielding crops from extreme weather, which can lead to improved water retention and even the creation of diversity-supporting habitats. This dual functionality makes agrivoltaic systems especially relevant as climate events intensify and the global population continues to grow.
Global trends and technological diversity
From Japan’s compact overhead systems tailored to horticulture to the USA’s large-scale interspace systems focused on grazing and pollinators, the report highlights a tremendous amount of potential agrivoltaic applications. By 2021, agrivoltaics had grown from just 5 MWp in 2012 to 14 GWp worldwide, driven by proactive government support in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and China.
Different agrivoltaic configurations present significant variations. Overhead systems, interspace PV setups, and greenhouse integrations each bring unique advantages and design challenges. And since agricultural practices are so diverse throughout the world, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. So, the most important issue is carefully aligning crop types and system designs to climate.
Clarifications
A standout takeaway from the report is the complexity inherent in integrating agriculture and energy, two very distinct sectors. This convergence of practices, goals, and terminologies demands extensive communication and collaboration. Since it is a new PV system integration that has exponential market growth and involves multiple actors with potentially contrasting objectives, the report notes that harmonizing definitions and clarifying objectives are critical first steps.
While various terms like “solar sharing,” “agrovoltaics,” and “agrisolar” are commonly used in policy and scientific circles, the consensus is shifting toward the term “agrivoltaics” to describe these systems. However, definitions remain inconsistent across countries, and this issue must be addressed.
Moreover, perceptions of agrivoltaics vary widely. While some stakeholders view it as an energy-centric land-use innovation, others emphasize its agricultural potential. To bridge these perspectives, the report underscores the need for multi-stakeholder platforms, interdisciplinary research, and transparent evaluation criteria.
Modeling and simulation tools
To make agrivoltaics as efficient as possible, agricultural and photovoltaic performances must be modeled and simulated before installation. This is essential to ensure optimal system design and operation.
Different modeling approaches, from radiation simulations and shading analysis to crop productivity and soil hydrology models, can be combined to simulate the interactions between PV arrays and farming activities. However, modeling becomes more complex when taking into consideration parameters like geography, crop type, and local climate. Integrated tools that can flexibly combine these variables are urgently needed.
Performance frameworks and KPIs
To support consistent evaluation efforts, the report proposes a comprehensive performance assessment framework for agrivoltaic systems. Central to this are several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including:
- Land Equivalent Ratio (LER): Measures the combined productivity of agriculture and energy versus their individual performance on separate land plots.
- Specific Yield (kWh/kW): Indicates the electrical productivity per installed PV capacity.
- Water Productivity (WP): Assesses the efficiency of water usage in crop production under PV arrays.
These KPIs offer essential benchmarking tools to evaluate not only the dual performance of agrivoltaics but also its trade-offs and synergies.
Operational challenges and monitoring
Agrivoltaic systems require rigorous monitoring protocols due to the interdependencies between their different parts. For example, PV-induced shading can affect crop growth, while agricultural activity can increase wear on PV infrastructure. Therefore, monitoring systems must simultaneously track agricultural yield, electrical output, microclimate variables, and system maintenance needs.
Operational challenges also include higher O&M complexity and risks, safety concerns in livestock-integrated systems, and the logistical difficulty of coordinating between farmers and energy system operators. The report encourages adaptive monitoring frameworks and regular data analysis to preempt performance bottlenecks.
Legal and socioeconomic dimensions
The legal landscape for agrivoltaics is still fragmented. As the report notes, in countries like France, Japan, and the U.S. there is a lack of harmonized permitting processes and clear land-use classifications.
Incentive schemes also vary. Some nations offer feed-in tariffs or tax incentives for agrivoltaic projects, while others have yet to differentiate between standard PV and dual-use systems. The report advocates for performance-based support policies that reward both energy conversion and agricultural productivity.
From a socioeconomic perspective, agrivoltaics can improve lives in rural areas by diversifying income streams and reducing vulnerability to climate risks. However, a successful deployment depends on early stakeholder engagement, especially with landowners and agricultural communities.
Charting the path forward
Agrivoltaics is still a young sector, and many challenges remain, such as the need for integrated modeling tools and uncertainties in O&M and long-term performance. Yet, as the report makes clear, the opportunities are vast. The dual-use approach could play a transformative role in achieving climate goals, preserving ecosystems, and supporting agricultural productivity in a warming world.
Future research and policy should aim to refine agrivoltaic definitions, develop performance-based incentives, and fund interdisciplinary studies to fill knowledge gaps. By focusing on design, monitoring, and collaboration, agrivoltaics can shift from experimental pilot projects to mainstream energy-agriculture solutions.
As land use pressures grow, agrivoltaics offers a hopeful blueprint: one where solar panels not only harvest energy but help cultivate the land they stand on.
Author: Ignacio Landivar
Download the handbook
To access the report Dual Land Use for Agriculture and Solar Power Production: Overview and Performance of Agrivoltaic Systems, you can download the latest edition here.
About IEA PVPS Task 13
IEA PVPS Task 13 engages in focusing the international collaboration in improving the reliability of photovoltaic systems and subsystems by collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on their technical performance and durability, providing a basis for their technical assessment, and developing practical recommendations for improving their electrical and economic output in different climatic regions.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
Agrivoltaics is probably the future of large scale solar.
I wonder if water usage could be combined somewhat with the solar panels–particularly in southern areas with higher average temperatures. Thus, with the right design, panels could be cooled and would be able to produce more power (than their non-cooled equivalent).