Short project description

Agrivoltaics (APV) is an innovative and forward-looking land-use strategy that combines agricultural production with solar energy generation, aiming to optimize the use of sunlight for both crops and electricity. This dual-use approach offers a promising solution to the growing land-use competition between food and energy, particularly in the context of climate change and the green energy transition. The core of our APV projects lies in analyzing how different photovoltaic (PV) panel configurations influence microclimate conditions, crop performance, and soil dynamics across time and space, in comparison to open fields. Special attention will be given to climatic variables such as radiation, wind characteristics, air temperature, Relative Humidity (RH), nitrogen leaching and crop biomass to understand how APV systems can improve resource use efficiency and resilience in cropping systems.

By integrating field measurements, ground-based and drone-based sensor data, the student will be able to analyze the effects of different APV set-ups, which can contribute to identifying win-win scenarios for sustainable food and energy co-production. Students will be able to explore how to align PV and crop species (e.g. grass-clover, wheat and barley) adjustments to optimize overall system productivity. The experimental site is part of an integrated circular farm that combines APV with biogas production and a green biorefinery. This setting offers a hands-on learning environment where students can gain valuable insights into innovative technologies and sustainable agricultural practices at the intersection of food, feed, energy, and resource efficiency.

Specific roles and responsibilities for a potential MSc student will be further defined and tailored based on mutual interests and project needs during a discussion and a visit to the experimental site.