Agrivoltaic systems research examines shading effects across Europe

A master's thesis submitted by Isabelle Grabner at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, examines the self-shading and ground-shading effects of agrivoltaic systems throughout Europe.

As Europe faces limited land availability for renewable energy expansion, agrivoltaics—the dual use of land for both agriculture and solar panels—is proposed as a solution. The research suggests that these systems may provide additional benefits, such as protecting crops from heat stress through shading.

The study developed a model to calculate shading parameters across various common system types, including tracking systems, vertical installations, high-mounted systems, and conventional setups. The findings indicate that high-mounted systems result in the lowest levels of ground shading.