Solar Photovoltaic Energy in Agriculture

“Solar photovoltaic energy in agriculture” is the main thematic content accounted for in the present book and the main topic for discussion in this chapter. For readers’ benefit and a comprehensive presentation of the current state of the art on the agrivoltaics approach, seven levels for discussion are considered. Initially, an introduction to agrivoltaics takes place, where the reader acquires the minimum background information for the topic, while afterward, the application modes of photovoltaics in agriculture and results from case studies on the corresponding impact of their application on crop yields and quality are presented. Subsequently, a rough overview of the costs for photovoltaics-farming dual land-use compared to bare ground-mounted PV systems is given, followed by a brief report on up-to-date information on the emerging market of agrivoltaics. Finally, the significance of photovoltaic agriculture in the Mediterranean area for sustainable development is demonstrated, while the barriers and opportunities for further development of agrivoltaics are also discussed.