Literature review: Agrivoltaics adoption
Background
[edit | edit source]What is [Topic]?
[edit | edit source]The "What" of the topic.
Theoretical Framework
[edit | edit source]The "How" of the topic.
Significance and Importance
[edit | edit source]The "Why" of the topic.
Current State of the Art
[edit | edit source]The "When" of the topic. Review current state with an emphasis on the development of the field over time.
Relevant Stakeholders
[edit | edit source]The "Who" of the topic.
Applicability and Context
[edit | edit source]The "Where" of the Topic
Literature
[edit | edit source]Motivation
[edit | edit source]Combining solar photovoltaic panels and food crops for optimising land use: Towards new agrivoltaic schemes[1]
[edit | edit source]- Coined the term ‘agrivoltaics’ to describe the combination of solar panels and food crops on the same land.
- Compared conventional options (agriculture-only and energy-generation-only) with two agrivoltaics systems at different solar panel densities using Land Equivalent Ratio (LER).
- LER = (YcropinAV / Ymonocrop) + (YelectrictyAV / YelectricityPV) ; monocrop refers to agriculture-only, PV refers to conventional/stand-alone PV plant, AV refers to agrivoltaic system
- If LER > 1, AV is an effective use of land than agriculture-only and energy-generation-only
- Models show that agrivoltaic systems may increase overall land productivity compared with using the same land for agriculture-only and energy-generation-only separately.
Agrivoltaics in Ontario Canada: Promise and Policy [2]
- Identified Ontario Canada policies that limit agrivoltaics development:
- Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) (2020) regulates land use and development in Ontario; Note: The Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) 2024 replaced the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2020.
- Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020)
- Greenbelt Plan (2017)
- Agrivoltaics development on farmland meets the criteria for permitted uses in prime agricultural areas specified in PPS 2020 (now PPS 2024). Tables below copied from paper for ease of reference:
| Criteria for Permitted Uses in Prime Agricultural Areas | Conventional
PV Farm |
Agrivoltaics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Farm-related commercial and farm-related industrial uses | No | Yes; Agriculture continues |
| 2. Shall be compatible with and shall not hinder surrounding agricultural operations | No | Yes; Benefits Agricultural |
| 3. Directly related to farm operations in the area | No | Yes; Agriculture continues |
| 4. Supports agriculture | No | Yes; Yield increase, water conservation, and plant protection |
| 5. Provides direct products and/or services to farm operations as a primary activity | Yes, if some power goes to farm | Yes; Yield increase, must be considered holistically |
| 6. Benefits from being in close proximity to farm operations | No | Yes; Lower PV operating temperatures |
| On-Farm Diversified | Conventional PV Farm | Agrivoltaics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Located on a farm | Yes | Yes |
| 2. Secondary to the principal agricultural use of the property | Maybe | Yes holistically |
| 3. Limited in area | Unclear | Unclear |
| 4. Includes, but is not limited to, home occupations, home industries, agri-tourism uses, and uses that produce value-added agricultural products | No | Yes |
| 5. Shall be compatible with, and shall not hinder, surrounding agricultural operations | Yes | Yes |
- Author argues that provincial and municipal policies must be aligned to increase agrivoltaic system deployment in Ontario; policy language must be updated to account agrivoltaics which is a dual-use system.
- Author recommends that provincial energy policy could incentivize agrivoltaics.
The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada[3]
- Text
A First Investigation of Agriculture Sector Perspectives on the Opportunities and Barriers for Agrivoltaics[4]
- Text
Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept[5]
- Text
Social acceptance of dual land use approaches: Stakeholders' perceptions of the drivers and barriers confronting agrivoltaics diffusion [6]
- Text
Social acceptance of agrivoltaics in Canada: Insights on public perceptions across technologies and provinces from a nationwide survey[7]
- Text
Equilibrium Selection
[edit | edit source]Mechanism Design
[edit | edit source]Generative Agents
[edit | edit source]Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Dupraz, C., Marrou, H., Talbot, G., Dufour, L., Nogier, A., & Ferard, Y. (2011). Combining solar photovoltaic panels and food crops for optimising land use: Towards new agrivoltaic schemes. Renewable Energy, 36, 2725–2732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2011.03.005
- ↑ Pearce, J. M. (2022). Agrivoltaics in Ontario Canada: Promise and Policy. Sustainability, 14(5), 3037. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053037
- ↑ Jamil, U., Bonnington, A., & Pearce, J. M. (2023). The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada. Sustainability, 15, 3228. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228
- ↑ Pascaris, A. S., Schelly, C., & Pearce, J. M. (2020). A First Investigation of Agriculture Sector Perspectives on the Opportunities and Barriers for Agrivoltaics. Agronomy, 10(12), 1885. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121885
- ↑ Wüstenhagen, R., Wolsink, M., & Bürer, M. J. (2007). Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept. Energy Policy, 35(5), 2683–2691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2006.12.001
- ↑ Torma, G., & Aschemann-Witzel, J. (2023). Social acceptance of dual land use approaches: Stakeholders’ perceptions of the drivers and barriers confronting agrivoltaics diffusion. Journal of Rural Studies, 97, 610–625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.01.014
- ↑ Jamil, U., & Pearce, J. M. (2026). Social acceptance of agrivoltaics in Canada: Insights on public perceptions across technologies and provinces from a nationwide survey. Journal of Rural Studies, 123, 104068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104068
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
|---|---|
| Cite as | JIQuesada (2026). "Literature review: Agrivoltaics adoption". Appropedia. Retrieved September 22, 2026. |