An overview of open field agrivoltaic systems: A comprehensive description of combination of agricultural and energy production

• Shade tolerant crops are suitable for cropping in open field agrivoltaic. • Hot, dry, semi-arid and moderate climates are most suitable for these systems. • Design solutions affect both energy and crop yields. • Shade management is a challenging issue for agrivoltaic systems. • Agrivoltaic is beneficial in terms of water consumption. This overview aims to gather current knowledge and present recent findings in the field of agrivoltaic systems in a comprehensive manner. The impact of open field agrivoltaic systems on crop yields under different conditions is presented, as well as the factors that cause the mentioned impacts. Moreover, factors shaping beneficial effects of agrivoltaic are indicated. This paper also demonstrates the results of studies related to the effect of the systems in question on evapotranspiration and local microclimate. Challenges connected with the selection of adjacent plants for agrivoltaic installations are underscored. Furthermore, parameters aiming to describe agrivoltaic systems, commonly used in current works, are presented and explained. Since the layout and, consequently, the arrangement of the systems under discussion impact directly on the yield of crops, recently proposed layouts were demonstrated and classified. This classification allows us to distinguish the system and compare to each other. In the conclusions section, all findings are gathered. Considering the results of works included in this overview, it is important to introduce into the scientific discourse the question of whether the development of agrivoltaic is justified in countries characterised by relatively high lands sources, as well as agriculture based on crops unsuitable for agrivoltaic purposes.