Driving and restraining forces for the implementation of the Agrophotovoltaics system technology - A system dynamics analysis

Exploring the climate change mitigation potential and regional distribution of agrivoltaics with geodata-based farm economic modelling and life cycle assessment

Tackling climate change remains a critical challenge for society. Achieving climate neutrality requires a massive expansion of renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaics (PV). Agriculture plays a key role in this context, especially as the expansion of ground-mounted PV systems often leads to land-use conflicts. Agrivoltaics (AV), which combines agricultural and electricity production, can be a solution, but the synergies are particularly dependent on local agronomic conditions. There is also a knowledge gap in how AV expansion impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the landscape level and how it contributes to regional emission reduction targets. In this study, we analysed the economic and climate change mitigation impacts of AV expansion pathways in the German state Baden-Württemberg using an integrated land use model and life cycle assessment under the assumption of general rentability of electricity production by AV. We found that implementing AV on 1%-5% of the regions's arable and grassland area reduced the total agricultural gross margin by a maximum of approximately 0.5%. Concurrently, AV implementation reduced GHG emissions by about 1.2 million to 5.9 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2-eq). Even if this reduction is almost exclusively accounted for in the energy sector, in absolute terms it amounts to more than the current GHG emissions from Baden-Württemberg's agricultural sector (about 4.4 Mt CO2-eq in 2021). In the 5% expansion scenario, almost 90% of the installations were installed on grassland, but this share dropped to 72% when considering landscape quality constraints. Although we found considerable regional disparity, our findings still suggest that AV is an essential component for regional emission reduction targets. These results are particularly relevant for policymakers in spatial planning, agricultural and energy policy.

Research on Niche Evaluation of Photovoltaic Agriculture in China

To evaluate the ecological niche of China's photovoltaic agriculture, this paper firstly analyzed the composition of photovoltaic agriculture and constructed the ecosystem of photovoltaic agriculture. Then, we defined the concept of the ecological niche of photovoltaic agriculture, and based on this the preliminary niche evaluation index system was constructed. Further, redundant indicators in the preliminary index system were deleted based on the rough set theory, and the final niche evaluation index system was constructed. Finally, the ecological niche of photovoltaic agriculture was evaluated using the DANP method and cloud model. We found that the niche level of China's photovoltaic agriculture is between low and medium levels. Specifically, the level of resource niche is the highest, between medium and high levels; following is policy niche, near medium level; then is environmental niche, which is at a slightly lower medium level; the last three in turn are technology niche, social niche and economic niche. The technology should fully realize the synergistic effect of photovoltaic power generation and agricultural production, and the policy should play better environmental, social and economic functions on this basis to achieve a higher niche level of China's photovoltaic agriculture.

Research on Niche Improvement Path of Photovoltaic Agriculture in China

To explore the niche improvement path of photovoltaic agriculture in China, a niche influencing factor system was constructed first. Then, this study innovatively combined the DEMATEL and analytic network process (DANP) method and the NK model, which can correct the defects of the traditional NK model. Based on the above method, the influence coefficients and index weight of each niche factor were calculated, and the niche fitness landscape of photovoltaic agriculture was constructed. Finally, according to the fitness landscape map of each combination state, the optimal configuration state of niche influencing factors of photovoltaic agriculture and the optimal niche improvement path of photovoltaic agriculture were explored. We found that the interaction between the six niche influencing factors determines the niche fitness of photovoltaic agriculture, and the changes in the niche fitness and the niche improvement of photovoltaic agriculture are coordinated. It was proposed that the optimal niche improvement path of photovoltaic agriculture in China is "technological innovation → policy formulation → resource allocation → economic improvement → social recognition → environmental protection", and the research conclusions were further explained and discussed.

Agrivoltaic Systems Design and Assessment: A Critical Review, and a Descriptive Model towards a Sustainable Landscape Vision (Three-Dimensional Agrivoltaic Patterns)

As an answer to the increasing demand for photovoltaics as a key element in the energy transition strategy of many countries—which entails land use issues, as well as concerns regarding landscape transformation, biodiversity, ecosystems and human well-being—new approaches and market segments have emerged that consider integrated perspectives. Among these, agrivoltaics is emerging as very promising for allowing benefits in the food–energy (and water) nexus. Demonstrative projects are developing worldwide, and experience with varied design solutions suitable for the scale up to commercial scale is being gathered based primarily on efficiency considerations; nevertheless, it is unquestionable that with the increase in the size, from the demonstration to the commercial scale, attention has to be paid to ecological impacts associated to specific design choices, and namely to those related to landscape transformation issues. This study reviews and analyzes the technological and spatial design options that have become available to date implementing a rigorous, comprehensive analysis based on the most updated knowledge in the field, and proposes a thorough methodology based on design and performance parameters that enable us to define the main attributes of the system from a trans-disciplinary perspective.