Project snapshot: Plant production agrivoltaics across southern Australia

This report examines agrivoltaics (AV), which combines solar energy generation with crop production on the same land. The research focused on vineyards across Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It explored how AV systems affect grapevine growth, fruit quality and farm productivity under Australian conditions.

As climate change, rising energy costs and land-use pressures increase, AV offers a practical way to produce renewable energy while maintaining agricultural production. The project established demonstration sites and collected data on canopy growth, yield and fruit quality. Researchers also modelled the long-term performance of different AV system designs.

The results showed that AV can be successfully integrated into vineyards with minimal impact on production. In addition, AV often increased canopy growth and improved fruit acidity, which may help growers adapt to warmer climates. While results varied between sites, modelling found that well-designed systems can improve overall land-use efficiency by producing food and energy from the same area.

The findings provide valuable Australian evidence to support future AV adoption. The report highlights the importance of site-specific design, ongoing monitoring and further research to help growers, industry and policymakers make informed decisions.

Read the full report here: Plant production agrivoltaics across southern Australia.