A research group led by Austria’s University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), has conducted techno-economic analysis to assess the potential of agrivoltaic (APV) installations in Austria, integrating profitability for both solar PV generation and agricultural production.
“We present, for the first time, a spatially explicit simulation framework that consistently estimates large-scale APV potentials while jointly accounting for electricity generation and agricultural output,” the research team said. “Moreover, we evaluate APV potentials under both current and future climate conditions, thereby assessing the role of APV systems as an adaptation strategy to climate change.”
To conduct the analysis, the researchers developed a modular simulation framework, using established simulation tools where available and custom components where necessary. The framework is publicly available under a GPL license. Using EU data from the policy-integrated climate model EPIC, the team first identified areas suitable for APV deployment. Among the filtering criteria were a minimum of 1 ha of contiguous cropland (independent of ownership), a maximum average slope of 20°, and a maximum altitude of 1,950 m above sea level.
Electricity generation was simulated using PVlib, with global horizontal irradiation (GHI) data derived from a 1 km climate simulation grid. EPIC was used to model key environmental processes and plant growth at plot level, using daily time steps and a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km. Crop growth was simulated based on interactions between environmental conditions and management practices such as crop rotation, covering peas, soybeans, potatoes, alfalfa, summer barley, and oats.
Climate inputs were based on observed data from 1981 to 2020, and projections for 2031 to 2070. Two baseline scenarios were evaluated: conventional agricultural production without PV, and ground-mounted PV (GM-PV) systems without agricultural production. APV configurations included overhead stilted systems (S-APV) with an installation height of around 10 m and south-facing orientation, and vertical bifacial systems (VB-APV) featuring 10 m row spacing and two vertically stacked bifacial modules. Each configuration was assessed under low, medium, and high cost assumptions.
In Austria, the results show that GM-PV systems generate 1,173 MWh/ha, S-APV systems 684 MWh/ha, and VB-APV systems 373 MWh/ha. On average, the VB-APV configuration delivers a profit ratio compared to agriculture alone ranging from 10:1 to 50:1, while S-APV systems reach up to 60:1. GM-PV systems show the highest profitability, with ratios of up to 100:1.
“For attaining 90 TWh/y of electricity generation from solar PV on cropland, an upper bound across all climate neutrality scenarios, between 5% and 16% of total cropland area would be required,” the team concluded. “The required area and simulated yield reductions imply that Austrian crop production would decline by 2%–6%. Only agrivoltaic systems achieve impacts at the lower end of this range. Climate change adaptation effects of agrivoltaics are limited.”
The research findings have appeared in “The techno-economic potentials of agrivoltaic installations in Austria,” published in Renewable Energy. Researchers from Austria’s BOKU University and the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics have participated in the study.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Thursday, July 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 18, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 15, 2026
9:30 am – 10:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
