Comprehensive Evaluation of Agrivoltaics Research: Breadth, Depth, and Insights for Future Research

Kai Lepley, Hanna Fields, Chong Seok Choi, Thomas Hickey, Benny Towner, Brittany Staie, James McCall, Julia Chamberland and Jordan Macknick ()
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Kai Lepley: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Hanna Fields: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Chong Seok Choi: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Thomas Hickey: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Benny Towner: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Brittany Staie: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
James McCall: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Julia Chamberland: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Jordan Macknick: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-42

Abstract: Agrivoltaics integrates agricultural production with solar energy generation to address challenges related to land use, food security, and renewable energy development. This study provides the most comprehensive evaluation to date of global agrivoltaic research, aiming to classify the literature, identify strengths and gaps, and guide future work. We systematically screened over 3000 English-language publications through 2023 for relevant agrivoltaic publications. A total of 670 studies were categorized in the InSPIRE Data Portal across five agrivoltaic activities and multiple hierarchical themes, including physical, biological, technological, social, and crosscutting domains. We found that research was concentrated on crop production, microclimate dynamics, and PV performance, with gaps in areas like human health, wildlife, policy, and standardized methodologies. Although the U.S. emphasizes animal grazing and habitat-based systems in practice, most U.S.-based studies focused disproportionately on crop production. The analysis revealed uneven geographic and topical representation and highlighted a lack of integrated, interdisciplinary approaches. This study concludes that while agrivoltaic research has grown rapidly, more coordinated efforts could support standardized data collection, address overlooked ecological and social impacts, and align research focus with real-world system implementation, ultimately improving the scalability and successful deployment of agrivoltaic systems.

Keywords: agrivoltaics; co-location; ecovoltaics; agripv; agrisolar; agriphotovoltaics; dual-use; solar; photovoltaics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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