Bridging Agriculture and Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship: Farmers’ Insights on the Adoption of Agrivoltaic Systems

Agrivoltaic systems (AVs) combine agricultural production with photovoltaic energy generation, enabling the dual use of land resources. This approach has gained increasing attention as a promising strategy to address pressing social, environmental, and energy challenges. Although the global expansion of AVs is accelerating, empirical research remains limited—particularly regarding farmers’ perspectives on adopting such systems. This study investigates Greek farmers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the adoption of photovoltaic technologies in agricultural practices. For this purpose, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted on a sample of 287 participants selected using purposive convenience sampling, based on predefined inclusion criteria relevant to the objectives of the study. The data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model to identify factors positively associated with farmers’ willingness to adopt AVs. The findings reveal that 46.3% of farmers expressed willingness to adopt AVs, indicating a moderate level of acceptance. The logistic regression results indicated that higher education levels (OR = 3.53, p = 0.007), membership in farmers’ organizations (OR = 2.00, p = 0.001), and familiarity with agro-energy concepts (OR = 3.49, p = 0.016) significantly increased farmers’ motivation to engage as renewable energy producers. The model demonstrates a moderate level of explanatory power (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.37). The study’s findings provide valuable insights into the key factors influencing farmers’ willingness to adopt AVs, contributing to a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes involved. Based on these findings, it is recommended that agricultural policies and community-based renewable energy initiatives focus on targeted education and extension services, the strengthening of farmers’ organizations to facilitate collective decision-making, and the implementation of focused agro-energy information campaigns.