Agrivoltaic Systems: An Integrated Solution for Energy, Food, and Environmental Sustainability

The global transition to energy sources with lower environmental impact and the growing demand for food can lead to competition for land use. A potential solution to mitigate this land-use conflict in agrivoltaic systems, which combine agricultural production with photovoltaic electricity generation on the same plot of land. Based on recently published studies, this review discusses the advantages and limitations of agrivoltaic systems from agricultural, energy, and economic perspectives. The results show that a balanced combination of photovoltaic module configuration criteria, agricultural parameters, and economic factors, makes it possible to implement agrivoltaic systems adapted to the region’s conditions and agricultural practices, with a favorable cost-benefit ratio. In addition, dual land use can become an integrated business model; unused energy could be commercialized, generating additional income for farmers.