Feasibility of agrivoltaics in Finland : combining farming and solar PV for sustainable land use
Ellegedara Mudiyanselage, Antani (2025)
2025
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025112630093
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025112630093
Tiivistelmä
Climate change and a growing global population are increasing the pressure on food systems and energy production, creating a need for land-efficient solutions. Agrivoltaics, which integrates photovoltaic (PV) systems with crop or livestock production, has emerged as a viable method to address these simultaneous challenges. Finland’s carbon-neutrality target for 2035, combined with its technologically advanced agricultural sector, provides a relevant framework for evaluating its applicability.
This thesis examines the environmental and agricultural feasibility of agrivoltaics in Finland, utilizing suitable Agri-PV systems. Key factors assessed include national solar radiation patterns, seasonal daylight variation, crop suitability, livestock integration, and system design requirements. Overhead and interspaced Agri-PV configurations were evaluated for compatibility with Finnish farming practices, considering snow loads, machinery access, shading effects, and the performance of bifacial panels. The study also reviews Finland’s agricultural structure, which is dominated by cereals, root crops, horticulture, and dairy production, and identifies crops and systems that would benefit most from moderated microclimates, improved water retention, and dual land use. European case studies are used to analyse land-use efficiency, energy yield potential, climate resilience gains, and economic impacts. Technical challenges, including structural costs, winter performance, policy gaps, and the regulatory classification of Agri-PV land, are also addressed.
In conclusion, the results indicate that agrivoltaics is technically feasible and potentially beneficial for Finnish conditions, particularly for horticultural crops, root crops, and grazing livestock. However, large-scale adoption requires clearer regulation, financial incentives, and field trials adapted to Nordic climates. Agrivoltaics could support Finland’s renewable energy targets, enhance farm resilience, and promote more efficient land use within future sustainable agriculture strategies.
This thesis examines the environmental and agricultural feasibility of agrivoltaics in Finland, utilizing suitable Agri-PV systems. Key factors assessed include national solar radiation patterns, seasonal daylight variation, crop suitability, livestock integration, and system design requirements. Overhead and interspaced Agri-PV configurations were evaluated for compatibility with Finnish farming practices, considering snow loads, machinery access, shading effects, and the performance of bifacial panels. The study also reviews Finland’s agricultural structure, which is dominated by cereals, root crops, horticulture, and dairy production, and identifies crops and systems that would benefit most from moderated microclimates, improved water retention, and dual land use. European case studies are used to analyse land-use efficiency, energy yield potential, climate resilience gains, and economic impacts. Technical challenges, including structural costs, winter performance, policy gaps, and the regulatory classification of Agri-PV land, are also addressed.
In conclusion, the results indicate that agrivoltaics is technically feasible and potentially beneficial for Finnish conditions, particularly for horticultural crops, root crops, and grazing livestock. However, large-scale adoption requires clearer regulation, financial incentives, and field trials adapted to Nordic climates. Agrivoltaics could support Finland’s renewable energy targets, enhance farm resilience, and promote more efficient land use within future sustainable agriculture strategies.