Agrivoltaic – Study of the Potential in Portugal Continental

Abstract

The objective for the share of renewable energy in Portugal’s total energy consumption was raised from 47% to 51% in the revised National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030, highlighting Portugal’s commitment to reducing emissions, enhancing renewable energy usage, and improving energy efficiency. Agrivoltaics systems can be one of the strategies to accomplish this goal. These systems allow the combination of food and energy production in the same space in a synergistic way, avoiding land-use competition between PV and agriculture. This study analyzes the technical potential of agrivoltaics in mainland Portugal, a country particularly suitable for its implementation due to its high solar potential and diversified agriculture. The study used public geographic information system databases to perform systematic mapping of the viable areas. The methodology used was based on a multicriteria geospatial analysis, which included the identification of agricultural and pasture areas (based on the 2023 Land Use Charter), the exclusion of zones with legal restrictions such as National Agricultural Reserve (RAN), National Ecological Reserve (REN), and Natura 2000 Network, and the areas with a terrain slope >10%. The analysis revealed that the Alentejo region has the greatest technical potential, due to its predominantly flat topography, high solar radiation, and low density of environmental restrictions. The study estimated the potential for installed photovoltaic (PV) power through overhead configuration.