Horticulture-Voltaic: The Earth's Solar Horticulture Turns Every Ray into Food and Power - A Comprehensive Review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Horticulture-voltaic systems - the co-location of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation with horticultural crop production on the same land - are emerging as a central strategy for climate-resilient horticulture. This in-depth review examines the technology, engineering, intercultural operations and empirical evidence for horticulture-voltaics applied to fruit, vegetable and flower crops. We cover solar panel technologies, system architectures, the full design-component and engineering stack (mounting heights of 2.5-5 m, panel spacing and tilt, deep-buried armoured cables, structural safety under ASCE-7-16 wind loads, smart irrigation integration), the electrical architecture (module/string voltage, inverter, battery, transformer, grid connection), and intercultural operations adapted for sub-array horticulture. Empirical evidence shows that shade relieves heat and drought stress, with grape +277% (Mediterranean, LER 3.54), tomato and chiltepin doubled or tripled (Arizona), and partial shade increasing floral abundance in flowers. Shading must stay below ~30% for fruit crops and 20-40% for most vegetables and flower crops. With continued research and engineering, horticulture-voltaics can deliver climate-adaptive, resource-efficient and energy-positive horticultural systems.
Author: Jadala Shankaraswamy
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7213346284