What if the same piece of farmland could produce both food and electricity?
That is the idea behind agrivoltaics, an emerging approach that combines agriculture with solar photovoltaic systems. Solar panels are installed above or between crops, allowing farmers to continue agricultural production while generating renewable energy.
Turning shade into an advantage
Although crops need sunlight to grow, excessive heat and sunlight can increase water loss and stress plants. Agrivoltaic panels can provide partial shade, creating a cooler microclimate and, in some environments, reducing water requirements.
Research published in Nature Sustainability found that agrivoltaic systems could improve food production and water-use efficiency in certain dryland conditions.
However, the benefits are not universal. Crop type, climate, panel height, spacing and system design all influence the outcome. Too much shade can reduce crop growth.
More than just farming
Agrivoltaics can potentially give farmers two outputs from the same land: agricultural products and electricity. Some systems also allow livestock such as sheep to graze beneath solar panels or incorporate habitats for pollinators.
This makes agrivoltaics particularly interesting as countries look for ways to expand renewable energy without putting additional pressure on agricultural land.
An opportunity for Africa
The concept could be valuable in regions dealing with food, water and energy challenges simultaneously. A 2024 review of agrivoltaics in West Africa found potential for the technology but also highlighted a major limitation: relatively little research has been carried out in the region.
That means systems designed for Africa will need to account for local crops, climate, farming practices and economic conditions rather than simply copying models developed elsewhere.
Its greatest advantage may not be replacing conventional farming or solar farms, but carefully integrating the two.
As demand for both food and renewable energy grows, agrivoltaics offers a compelling possibility: one field, two harvests, food from the soil and energy from the sun.
Sources:
Nature Sustainability, Fraunhofer ISE, NREL, ScienceDirect.
