The development of agrivoltaics: combining agriculture and solar energy

The agrivoltaics concept, which involves placing crops and livestock farming in the same area as renewable energy facilities, dates back to 1981, when German scientists published an article on growing potatoes under collectors. The first pilot project was launched in 2004 in Japan. Today, there are three main types of such systems: horizontal, vertical, and integrated (for example, on greenhouse roofs). As of mid-2025, the global volume of agrivoltaics stands at 18.4 gigawatts, which does not exceed 1% of the total global solar energy capacity.

The practice offers a number of advantages for agronomy and energy production. The shade from the panels and the microclimate they create help protect shade-tolerant crops (berries, grapes, tomatoes, peaches, and peppers) from adverse weather, as well as retain soil moisture. The solar panels themselves also operate more efficiently when cooled by plants, as electricity generation drops with overheating. In addition, sheep grazing is practiced at every tenth American solar site: the animals easily coexist with the equipment, receive shade, fertilize the soil with manure, and reduce the need for herbicides. For sheep farmers, this changes the economics of the process, allowing them to receive payment for grazing instead of renting land.

Nevertheless, the technology has limitations. In the arid American West, yields under the panels remained stable or increased, whereas in the humid Midwest, shading limited photosynthesis and reduced yields of corn and soybeans, which is critical for the profitability of commodity crops. The development of this sector is also constrained by high equipment and installation costs, as well as farmers' inability to learn from neighbors due to the underdeveloped network of such projects.