Agrivoltaics

U.S. researchers developed a framework showing that wider spacing between solar PV rows can make agrivoltaic systems economically viable for large-scale mechanized farming. Their simulations in Colorado demonstrated that optimized row spacing maintains crop production while improving combined agricultural and energy revenues.

Swedish researchers developed two novel single-axis solar tracking strategies that dynamically adjust panel tilt based on crop light requirements, balancing photosynthesis and energy production. One strategy prioritizes daily light integral targets before shifting to energy capture, while the other uses the light-response curve to optimize photosynthesis, offering improved dual-use efficiency compared with conventional tracking methods.

Brazilian scientists have developed a slope-based framework for agrivoltaics, finding that sites below 15% gradient offer the best balance between agricultural suitability and technical feasibility. Their review of 30 studies shows that steeper terrain can host PV systems with adapted designs, land-use limits, erosion risks, and rising installation costs.

German researchers found that agrivoltaics costs far exceed agricultural benefits, raising doubts about subsidies and highlighting the need for more cost-competitive system designs.

Axis Energy plans to develop a diversified portfolio of nearly 5 GW of clean energy capacity across wind, solar, agri-photovoltaic (agri-PV), hybrid projects, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) with an investment of INR 31,750 crore.

Trincomalee Power Co. Ltd (TPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board and India’s NTPC Ltd, has invited bids for the EPC package of a 50 MW (AC), Phase I ground-mounted solar project at Sampoor, Sri Lanka, while NTPC Green Energy Ltd. (NGEL) has floated a separate tender for an EPC package with land to develop cumulative 100 MW agri-PV projects across four Indian states.

Data from agrivoltaic canopy trials in France, developed by energy producer TSE and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), indicate measurable temperature, water-balance, and yield effects that reinforce the role of managed agrivoltaics in farm-level climate adaptation.

Research conducted at the oldest agrivoltaic research site in the United States found year-to-year weather variability impacts agrivoltaic crop production, emphasizing the importance in conducting studies across multiple years.

The report highlights significant investment opportunities across renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro), bio-energy, energy storage solutions, green hydrogen and its derivatives, sustainable transport infrastructure, digital systems and platforms for climate action, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy and waste management.

The technology which combines solar PV panels and agriculture is gaining ground. IEC Standards for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems already exist, but more might be required, dealing with some of the more specific issues relating to agriculture.