Agrovoltaics

What is agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics is a dual-use production system in which the primary activity is agriculture, and which synergistically integrates primary sector activities with electricity generation through photovoltaic technology within the same physical space.

General characteristics of an agrivoltaic project:

• Maintaining agreements between landowners, producers, and farmers or livestock operators.

• Sustaining a viable agricultural and energy business case.

• Integrating environmental sustainability criteria and efficient land use

Agrivoltaics may involve dual land use by combining renewable energy production through photovoltaic systems with agriculture or livestock farming, provided there is a synergistic use of the shade generated by the photovoltaic panels.

To assess the performance of an agrivoltaic plant, total land productivity must be analyzed rather than evaluating the output of each activity separately. For this purpose, the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) is used. This metric compares the efficiency of dual land use (simultaneous agricultural production and electricity generation) against the separate use of land for each activity individually.

What are the benefits of agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics offers a range of agricultural, environmental, and social benefits, which can be summarized as follows:

A.      Environmental

• Reduced water demand: By lowering evapotranspiration (reducing irrigation needs), agrivoltaics improves water-use efficiency and reduces moisture loss during drought episodes.
• Reduced thermal stress: PV panels provide shading that lowers daytime temperatures and helps retain heat at night. This can positively affect both productivity and the quality of certain crops.
• Crop protection against climate events: Where structural design allows, agrivoltaics can reduce hail impact, limit incoming radiation during extreme irradiation periods (preventing leaf or crop burn from excessive solar exposure), and mitigate the effects of torrential rainfall on soil.

 

B.    Agricultural compatibility

When design and management ensure the genuine continuity of farming activity, agrivoltaics does not imply productive abandonment, but rather compatibility. This dual activity enables:

• Preservation of the agricultural function of the land maintaining crops or livestock under technical criteria that benefit crop performance or animal welfare.
• Increased overall land productivity by combining two complementary activities within the same space.
• A testing ground that facilitates agricultural digitalization.
• Enhanced energy autonomy through the potential use of photovoltaic self-consumption for agricultural needs (irrigation, refrigeration, etc.).
• Decarbonization of agricultural operations.

 

C.      Social

Electricity generation associated with agricultural operations introduces an additional source of income that can:

• Diversify farmers’ revenues, strengthening the economic resilience of rural areas while reducing exclusive dependence on agricultural market prices.
• Reinforce the link between energy projects and the primary sector by directly involving farmers in energy production, thereby facilitating social acceptance.
• Maintain employment and local economic activity, strengthening local value chains connected to productive activities and supporting long-term economic sustainability.

 

Current situation and potential

At present, most agrivoltaic projects in Spain are pilot initiatives, generally small-scale and often of limited duration. This makes it difficult to determine precisely how many remain operational or the total installed capacity nationwide.

However, there are estimates of the technology’s potential at the European level:

Potential in GWp (scenario assuming 1% of national territory used for agrivoltaics) by EU country

Source: Becquerel Institute

While several European countries already have specific definitions and regulatory frameworks promoting agrivoltaics, Spain currently lacks dedicated regulation in this field.

Compatibility with CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) subsidies is already a reality in many European countries, not only for agricultural projects but also for livestock operations. Spain is currently working on a definition based on CAP support for such installations. The main challenge is ensuring that the deployment of photovoltaic structures does not automatically result in the loss of agricultural eligibility when productive activity effectively continues.

Leading the deployment of agrivoltaics in Spain 

At UNEF, we promote the synergistic integration of photovoltaic energy and the primary sector. We support the development of agrivoltaics, both in agricultural and livestock projects, acting as a strategic bridge between the photovoltaic sector, national institutions, and regional governments.

Our work goes beyond institutional representation: we connect knowledge, technology, and territory to define a shared model of success.

Our key activities: 

• Institutional Advocacy: Actively collaborating with public authorities to define favorable regulatory frameworks.
• Knowledge Generation: Producing high-standard technical reports and analytical publications.
• Meeting Points: Organizing specialized events and technical working groups to address sector challenges.
• Strategic Networking: Facilitating direct interaction among developers, farmers, livestock operators, and public-sector experts.

UNEF’s work goes beyond sharing experiences; our commitment is to lead consensus-building so that agrivoltaics becomes a driver of a fair and productive transition in rural areas.