agrifoodtech.cofund@upct.es
Advances in agrivoltaics
Research Code: C1-AGRIVOLTAICS
| What are we looking for
We seek innovative research proposals that could bring significant advances in the field of agrivoltaics from an open and broad perspective.
Keep in mind that supervisors are not allowed to get involved in the project proposal preparation.
The Context:
Agrivoltaics, the technology that allows dual land production (agricultural and energy) by means of integrating photovoltaic structures into different crops, is a growing field that is attracting increasing attention worldwide. It raises important regulatory, engineering, environmental, and social questions that are central to its future large-scale implementation.
The problem to address:
Agrivoltaics is a technology facing impressive growth in the last ten years. Its partial reliance on mature technology such as photovoltaics has enabled rapid implementation, including commercial-scale installations that now coexist with research pilot sites. However, development paces remain uneven: agricultural and photovoltaic timeframes differ substantially, and further insights are desirable to assess the influence over crops on a larger scale. Regulatory frameworks are evolving in an uneven and uncoordinated manner, and their implications for agrivoltaics remain insufficiently understood. Social perception also varies across regions and is not yet fully understood, while economic and environmental impacts require deeper assessment.
To unlock the full potential of agrivoltaics, new paradigms may need to be explored to optimize energy-agriculture synergies, ensure system resilience, and manage increasing volumes of real-time data securely. Research on the integration of IoT-enabled monitoring, AI-driven decision-making and secure communications may constitute one possible avenue to help maximize performance, adaptability and sustainability. Finally, installation designs may need to be adapted to different crops, climatic conditions and operational constraints, leaving a broad and still largely unexplored research landscape.
Objectives:
Innovative structural designs and approaches to photovoltaic-crop integration.
New monitoring and assessment tools from energy or agricultural perspectives.
Further understanding of social perception.
Regulatory and policy dimensions relevant to agrivoltaics.
Economic, environmental, and social impacts.
Smart sensor networks and IoT-based platforms for real-time data collection.
AI-driven analytics for predictive maintenance, yield optimization, and climate adaptation.
Advanced structural designs adapted for connected and intelligent agrivoltaic infrastructures.
Any other innovative line of inquiry aligned with the broad development of agrivoltaics.
Expected Outcomes:
Research conducted under this line may involve the exploration, simulation or conceptualization of potential pilot system configurations aimed at improving understanding of the potential benefits of integrated agrivoltaic platforms. Possible outcomes may include:
- Insights into potential strategies to enhance energy-crop synergies, including the role of intelligent control systems.
- Contributions to an improved understanding of approaches for data visibility and decision-support mechanisms for farmers and stakeholders.
- Contributions to research on secure data pipelines and their potential implications for trustful operation and compliance.
- Explorations or assessments of socio-environmental impacts associated with digital transition scenarios in agrivoltaics.
Candidate Qualifications (if any):
Candidates may come from a broad range of disciplines, including backgrounds in agrivoltaics or related fields, renewable energy systems, life cycle assessment (LCA), agricultural or environmental sciences, or relevant engineering domains. Familiarity with wireless communications, IoT, AI/data science, cybersecurity or smart agriculture is considered an asset.