Tomato Yield Under Different Shading Levels in an Agrivoltaic Greenhouse in Southern Spain
Agrivoltaic greenhouses in southern Spain offer a sustainable way to manage excessive irradiance levels by generating renewable energy. This study presents a shading experiment on tomato cultivation in a raspa-y-amagado greenhouse in Almeria, southern Spain, during the 2023–2024 growing season. Photovoltaic modules were mimicked by opaque plastic sheets that were arranged in a checkerboard pattern on the roof of the greenhouse. Two shading zones (30% and 50% roof cover ratio) were compared against an unshaded control zone. Microclimate, plant physiology, yield and quality were monitored during the study. The results show that shading influenced the microclimate, which directly impacted crop yield. The 30% and 50% shading zones resulted in 15% and 26% crop yield reductions, respectively. A preliminary, theoretical analysis of potential revenues of the photovoltaic yield showed that reductions in crop yield can be overcompensated by the energy generated by the PV system. For the summer crop cycle, a higher PV production and lower crop yield reductions can be expected. The economic advantage demonstrates the potential of agrivoltaic greenhouses in southern Spain.
Authors
- Jose A. Carballo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0529-5672)
- Luis F. Zarzalejo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4522-6815)
- Manuel Blanco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2800-9886)
- Álvaro Fernández‐Solas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4650-9470)
- Antonio Gallardo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2674-4265)
- Stefan Wilbert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3573-3004)
- María Emilia Fernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9011-0128)
- Ana Francisca González-Pedraza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4392-3724)
- Robert Pitz‐Paal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3542-3391)
- Cristina Cornaro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7546-1878)
- Marco Antonio Manzo Godoy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0176-4611)
- M.C. Alonso‐García (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4457-3551)
- Sergio González Rodríguez
- Francisco Luque (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1354-3533)
- Leontina Berzosa Álvarez
- Natalie Hanrieder
- Anna Kujawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9295-5300)
- Julian Kornas
- Lyubomir Hristov
Institutions
- University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE)
- Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (ES)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- AgriEngineering
- Published
- 2025-06-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering7060178
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.00