The Latin America and Caribbean region faces a dual challenge: ensuring food security in the context of increasing droughts, heat waves, and extreme climate events, while at the same time accelerating the energy transition with more renewable energies. Pressure on land use and water availability forces the search for innovative solutions that reconcile agricultural production with clean energy generation.
Agrivoltaic systems (AgriPV), which combine agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land, offer a response to these cross-sectoral challenges. According to recent research, if just 1% of the planet’s arable land were devoted to producing solar electricity, it could cover the world’s entire energy demand. Globally, installed AgriPV capacity already exceeds 14 GW, with flagship projects in China, France, Germany, and South Korea demonstrating their technical and socioeconomic viability. In the region, Chile stands out as a pioneer: studies estimate that blueberry farms alone have a potential of 13.4 GWp, equivalent to 22% of the country’s electricity generation in 2023.
In this context, how can AgriPV be positioned as a key tool for water, food, and energy security in Latin America and the Caribbean, and what public policies are needed?
