Exploring Micro-Environmental Conditions of Urban Agrivoltaics: Advancing Sustainable Green Spaces and Agriculture in Temperate Cities

Journal Article · Fri Dec 26 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Sustainable Cities and Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.107091· OSTI ID:3015082

Merheb, Caroline ^[1]; Caplan, Joshua ^[1]; Rydzewski, Cara ^[1]; Phuyal, Pralad ^[1]; Macknick, Jordan ^[2]; Davatzes, Nicholas ^[1]; Ravi, Sujith ^[1]

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1. Temple University
2. National Laboratory of the Rockies, Golden, CO (United States)

Agrivoltaics, the integrated land use combining renewable energy production and agriculture, can potentially address key challenges faced by urban communities, including limited access to vacant land, fresh produce, and electricity. However, urban agrivoltaics has rarely been considered a viable solution, primarily due to a lack of experimental systems demonstrating the functionality of urban food production or green spaces alongside solar energy production. To evaluate the potential of solar photovoltaics to help mitigate heat stress on urban agriculture and green spaces in a temperate climate, we examined the microclimatic changes introduced by an urban agrivoltaics system (UrAV) when combined with vegetable crops and turfgrass, respectively. Accordingly, we installed an experimental setup instrumented with environmental sensors to compare full-sun conditions with those of an agrivoltaics system designed for urban environments. We found minimal differences for both land cover types between the control and agrivoltaics sites in air and soil temperature. However, during periods of intensified summer heat, temperatures beneath the panels cooled due to reductions in wind speed and relative humidity, which impeded the movement of hot, moist air and reduced reference evapotranspiration. Further, soil moisture in UrAV was highly spatially heterogeneous, influenced by the layout of the photovoltaic panels and their support structure, which redistributed rainfall and controlled where solar radiation could penetrate and drive evapotranspiration. Overall, our results suggest that PV-induced environmental changes in temperate climates are compatible with cultivating turfgrass or appropriate crops. These findings can help planners and designers integrate agrivoltaics into community gardens, farms, and green spaces in temperate cities.

• Research Organization: National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 3015082
• Report Number(s): NLR/JA-6A20-95496
• Journal Information: Sustainable Cities and Society, Journal Name: Sustainable Cities and Society Vol. 136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
cooling effect
microclimates
temperate climate
urban agrivoltaics
urban management strategies