Agrivoltaic systems in Latin America: Mapping the synergies for climates and crops

The combination of solar photovoltaics and agriculture (agrivoltaics) is attracting considerable interest due to its optimized use of land, energy, and water. Research testing and assessing this technology in the past decade has mostly focused on Europe and Asia. Latin America, despite using about 35% of its land for agriculture, has virtually remained unstudied. We aim to fill this gap. First, we provide an overview of the worldwide experiences on agrivoltaic systems based on literature analysis and expert interviews. Second, with these insights, we use geographic information systems and solar simulation tools to map and quantify the synergies of agrivoltaics for 18 climate regions and diverse crops in Latin America. We quantify crop yield, energy production, and water efficiency. And finally, we provide a set of recommendations on the implementation of agrivoltaic systems for the region. By understanding the above synergies, we aim to support the water-energy-food nexus in South America.