Agrivoltaics: a paradigm for sustainabledual land use – an overview

C.A. Arredondo¹*, A.G. Arredondo², C.E. Arrieta Gonzalez¹, V. Rajamani³ and S. Sarkar⁴

¹Universidad de Medellín, Facultad de Ingenierías, Grupo de Investigación en Energía - GRINEN, Carrera 87 N°30 – 65, Medellín, Colombia
²Universidad de Medellín, Facultad de Ingenierías, Grupo de Investigación en Energía - GRINEN, Estudiante Ingeniería en Energía, Carrera 87 N°30 – 65, Medellín, Colombia
³Fachhochschule Dortmund, Mechanical Engineering, Sonnenstraße 96, DE44139, Dortmund, Germany
⁴RV College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mysore Rd, RV Vidyaniketan, Post, Bengaluru, IN560059 Karnataka, India
*Correspondence: caarredondo@udemedellin.edu.co

Abstract:

Agrivoltaic systems is an emerging solution that combines agricultural production with photovoltaic energy generation on the same area. This paper synthesizes findings from approximately 251 peer-reviewed studies, technical reports, and real-world applications to explore the classification, benefits, and implementation of agrivoltaics systems globally. Case studies from Japan, France, Africa, and Latin America reveal yield increases above 10% for certain crops under partial shading and energy production outputs of up to 1.5 MW ha^-1, depending on the panel type and configuration. The overview also examines key technological developments, such as bifacial modules and smart irrigation, which improve efficiency and resource management. Additionally, it discusses the economic, environmental, and social benefits and identifies the main barriers to widespread adoption. By evaluating current challenges and future perspectives, this overview provides a comprehensive synthesis of how agrivoltaic systems contribute to sustainable energy and food production, highlighting their global relevance, integrating emerging technologies, and emphasizing the policy frameworks that support successful deployment.

Key words:

agrivoltaics, climate resilience, dual land use, energy transition, photovoltaic systems, sustainable agriculture

Case study of non-linear PV inverter devices attached to the LV distribution network

T. Vinnal, H. Puusepp, N. Shabbir, L. Kütt and M. N. Iqbal

Tallinn University of Technology, School of Engineering, Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Ehitajate tee 5, EE19086 Tallinn, Estonia.

Abstract:

Every year, more and more solar power plants are connected to the grid, producing electricity in an environmentally sustainable manner. The increasing number of photovoltaic (PV) installations and their integration into the low voltage (LV) distribution network (DN) is having an impact in terms of power quality (PQ). For example, the voltage in the DN can sustain high distortion values. The impact of a PV installation on the LV network is analysed in this research. The field measurements were carried out over a 3-week period at a solar power plant with a total output power of 160 kW in an Estonian rural municipality. The measurement results provide the opportunity to look more closely at the effect of the solar power plant on the supply voltage of the LV DN. Parameters such as voltage variation within a one-minute period, the asymmetry of the voltages and the total harmonic distortion of the voltages are discussed here.

Key words: