A GIS-Based Method for Assessing the Potential Agronomic Impact of Agrivoltaics in Grassland

Abstract

The growing demand for clean renewable energy deployment, driven by the European Green Deal, presents challenges, particularly due to land pressure in the rural regions. Agri-PV systems offer a potential dual land use to meet renewable objectives while reducing impact on agriculture. This study proposes a GIS-based methodology to evaluate the agronomic impact of Agri-PV on grassland, applying a high-resolution spatial analysis across 139 pedo-climatic regions in Wallonia, Belgium. Simulations use the Gras-Sim crop model embedded in the open-source tool PASE to estimate biomass production under four agrivoltaic configurations (canopy, vertical, and two south-oriented systems at different heights) and the control. For each design, multiple ground cover ratios (0.2 to 0.5) are tested over a 10-year period. Results indicate that vertical and canopy systems, especially in low root depth soils, can maintain grass yield compared to control regions without panels due to reduced evapotranspiration, sustaining the crop during drought periods. Conversely, low height configurations with high GCR showed a reduced biomass. The approach, combining different designs and territorial soil and climate conditions, provides first insights into grassland performance and the critical parameters affecting the crop dynamics.