Background: The increasing competition for land between agriculture and energy production has created a need for innovative solutions that can optimize land use. Agrivoltaic systems, which co-locate solar panels and crops, have emerged as a promising approach to address this challenge.

Objective: This comprehensive review synthesizes the experimental findings and field applications of agrivoltaic systems to provide a holistic understanding of their potential benefits and challenges.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies published in the last decade. The selected studies were analyzed to extract data on the impact of agrivoltaic systems on crop production, energy generation, and economic viability.

Results: The review of 108 studies reveals that agrivoltaic systems can have a positive impact on both crop production and energy generation. The shading provided by the solar panels can improve crop yields and water use efficiency, while the vegetation can cool the solar panels and increase their efficiency. However, the performance of agrivoltaic systems is highly dependent on the specific design, crop type, and climate.

Conclusion: Agrivoltaic systems have the potential to be a key technology in the transition to a more sustainable food and energy system. However, further research is needed to optimize their design and management for different contexts.