Maps assess where agrivoltaic solar farms could work across Iberia

A geospatial tool checks climate, soils, crop needs and solar layouts to flag feasible agrivoltaic sites in Portugal and Spain.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Agrivoltaic systems combine farmland with solar panels. This study uses an integrated geospatial assessment framework to evaluate where such installations might be feasible across the Iberian Peninsula by considering climatic, soil, topographic, land-use, regulatory and infrastructure constraints.

The framework also includes a crop suitability algorithm that produces scores based on how well local conditions match crop requirements, and it recommends photovoltaic system configurations based on crop characteristics and shading tolerance. Energy production is estimated with a simplified analytical approach for bifacial panels in overhead and vertical layouts, then compared across options.

Crop fit and layout trade-offs

The framework can identify suitable crops and recommend photovoltaic configurations under different agroclimatic contexts. In two Portuguese case studies, the modelled crop suitability agreed strongly with observed agricultural practices. In a data-limited existing Spanish agrivoltaic pilot, the application showed qualitative consistency as a check rather than a detailed validation. The results also highlight trade-offs among crop choice, system configuration, land use and estimated energy production.

Planning support for early site choices

Because agrivoltaic projects depend on both growing crops and producing solar electricity, planners need early-stage comparisons of where installations may fit. The authors present a practical tool intended to support early design and planning by linking site constraints, crop compatibility and alternative solar layouts within a single assessment workflow.

Modeled feasibility with limited validation

This is a modeling and geospatial assessment study tested in three case studies (two in Portugal and one in Spain). The energy-yield estimates use a simplified analytical approach for bifacial panels, and the Spanish pilot check is described as qualitative under data-limited conditions, limiting how strongly the results can be validated there. The study is focused on feasibility screening and comparative planning support, rather than full-scale measured performance across many sites.

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