The UPC inaugurates the first monitored agrivoltaic plant for comprehensive horticultural crop control at the Agròpolis
The agrivoltaic plant at the Agròpolis in Viladecans, the first integrated with irrigated horticulture in Catalonia
On 24 October, the UPC inaugurated the first fully monitored agrivoltaic plant for comprehensive horticultural crop control at its Agròpolis facility in Viladecans. This new infrastructure is being used to study the impact of two types of photovoltaic panels on various vegetable crops, with the aim of generating clean energy for Europe’s agricultural sector.
Nov 06, 2025
The agrivoltaic plant at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), which is Catalonia’s first to combine photovoltaic systems with irrigated horticulture, is a new space for knowledge generation and technological innovation applied to the agri-food sector. It has been developed as part of the European project “Symbiosyst: Create a Symbiosis where PV and agriculture can have a mutually beneficial relationship”, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. As part of this project, led by a consortium of 16 European partners including the UPC, the University’s researchers are developing technological tools to drive the energy transition in European agriculture.
The project’s goal is to optimise land use for both farming and solar power generation in the same space, a concept known as agrivoltaics or agri-PV. The photovoltaic panels installed above the crops generate electricity while modifying climatic conditions under the panels compared with open-air environments. The project assesses how microclimatic conditions (temperature, humidity and light) vary under different types of solar panels and how these changes affect crop performance. Researchers aim to identify which crops and agrivoltaic configurations offer the most favourable conditions, promoting more competitive, sustainable and decarbonised agriculture, while creating new opportunities for farmers.
The project explores several agrivoltaic solutions for both open-field and greenhouse cultivation, with pilot demonstrations in three distinct rural landscapes differing in location, climate, size and crop type (vineyards, fruit trees and vegetables), as well as in technological greenhouses. One of these three pilot sites has been built at the Agròpolis, a UPC facility dedicated to research and innovation in agri-food technologies that is located in Viladecans and linked to the Baix Llobregat Campus and the Barcelona School of Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering (EEABB). The other two pilot sites are located in Italy (fruit trees and vineyards) and the Netherlands (greenhouses).
Studying the impact of solar panels on crops
At the Agròpolis agrivoltaic plant, researchers are analysing under real conditions the impact of agrivoltaics on the quality and yield of vegetable crops. So far, two outdoor crop trials have been launched: lettuce and broccoli. Specifically, they are studying the effects of two types of photovoltaic panels with different solar cell densities, and therefore different light transmission levels, on these crops. The installation consists of 150 photovoltaic panels with a total capacity of 50.25 kilowatts (kW), capable of generating around 400 kWh per day, equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of 30–40 households.
The solar panels are mounted on ten solar trackers—mechanical devices that follow the sun’s path from east to west to maximise sunlight capture. This system ensures crop growth while maximising energy production. Five trackers are equipped with panels that allow 5% light transmission, and the other five with panels that allow 40%. Panel movement is controlled by mathematical models that take into account current weather conditions, the crops’ light requirements and plant growth models.
The cultivation area is equipped with aerial sensors that measure climatic variables and soil sensors that record humidity and temperature. In addition, hyperspectral imaging is used to monitor crop growth via a mobile robot, providing real-time, geolocated data across three test zones (under 5% and 40% transparency panels and in open-air conditions). These data will feed the development of a digital twin, which will support immediate and short-term decision-making for solar panel management with the aim of optimising production.
Researchers are also studying the effects of both types of panels on the development, physiology, yield and quality of vegetable species such as lettuce, broccoli and tomato.
So far, summer trials have shown no conclusive results regarding yield, nor significant differences between the cultivation zones under summer conditions. Winter trials will analyse the same parameters, as light and temperature may be more limiting factors for certain horticultural crops.
An outstanding installation
This project represents a major step forward in multidisciplinary research and knowledge transfer in the horticultural sector. According to Marcel Macarulla, a professor at the UPC’s Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT) and coordinator of the Symbiosyst project at the UPC: “This is an outstanding installation, and the results will be key to assessing whether agrivoltaic practices are a viable technology for developing mixed production systems (energy and food) and for defining operating protocols. They will also provide data-driven tools to guide policies, regulations and incentives for agrivoltaic installations.”
Anna Gras, a professor at the EEABB and the rector’s delegate for Agrotech-UPC, added: “Agrivoltaic plants open the door for farmers to benefit from energy production, whether for self-consumption or through participation in the energy market. This can enhance the economic sustainability of farms and contribute to territorial balance.”
Participation of four UPC research teams
Several UPC research groups and centres, coordinated under the AGROTECH-UPC research centre, are involved in the project. The Construction Research and Innovation Group (GRIC) has designed the most sustainable support structures for the solar panels. It also analyses proposed system designs and business models that could enable deployment in various environments, such as open fields, greenhouses and greenhouse-integrated buildings in peri-urban or remote areas, and their potential integration with the electricity market.
The Industrial Equipment Design Centre (CDEI) has developed a mobile autonomous robot capable of moving omnidirectionally in agricultural environments. Equipped with several sensors, it transmits real-time data to a decision-making system. The sensors measure external temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and soil moisture and temperature. The collected data are used to adjust variables such as the angle of the solar panels, optimising the balance between crop yield and energy production. This solution has a lower environmental impact, as it relies on a single sensor-equipped robotic system instead of a widespread network of static sensors.
The Intelligent Data Science and Artificial Intelligence research centre (IDEAI) supports the development of a digital twin of the agrivoltaic system, enabling evaluation of different configurations. This approach allows joint monitoring of agricultural and energy benefits, and the adjustment of crops’ water and light needs to the plant’s energy production capacity.
The Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology, part of the EEABB, analyses the effect of the agrivoltaic installation on the yield and quality of outdoor horticultural crops and has contributed to defining photovoltaic installation parameters to optimise both agricultural production and energy generation.
The interdisciplinary Symbiosyst consortium is coordinated by Eurac Research (Italy) and includes, in addition to the UPC, research centres and organisations from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The initiative also receives funding from the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) through the project “WEF4Build: Boosting climate resilience through water-energy-food nexus based solutions”, which supports the monitoring system.
Inaugural event
The inauguration of the Agròpolis agrivoltaic plant on 24 October brought together representatives from the production sector, companies, entrepreneurs, government bodies and research centres.
Speakers included Òscar Ordeig, Catalan minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food; Francesc Torres, rector of the UPC; Olga Morales, mayor of Viladecans; Anna Gras, the rector’s delegate for Agrotech-UPC; and Marcel Macarulla, GRIC-UPC researcher and coordinator of the Symbiosyst project at the UPC.
More information
- First monitored agrivoltaic plant for comprehensive horticultural crop control at the Agròpolis (YouTube)
- What are the goals of UPC's new agrivoltaic plant? What will be studied there? With researchers Anna Gras i Marcel Macarulla (YouTube)