Vertical agrivoltaics for climate adaptation in Mediterranean vineyards: a life cycle assessment

Mediterranean vineyards are increasingly exposed to climate-related stressors including droughts, heatwaves, increasing water scarcity, and extreme weather events that threaten agricultural productivity and long-term rural resilience. Agrivoltaic systems have emerged as a potential adaptation strategy capable of simultaneously generating renewable electricity while maintaining agricultural activity. However, the environmental and social implications of these systems remain insufficiently explored, particularly for Mediterranean viticulture.

This work presents a multi-level environmental and social life cycle assessment framework for vertical agrivoltaic vineyard systems under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions, using pilot installations located in Yecla (southeastern Spain). The study evaluates innovative lightweight vertical photovoltaic support structures designed to reduce material consumption and improve integration within vineyard rows.

The assessment combines two complementary levels of analysis. First, a comparative environmental life cycle assessment evaluates the structural systems considering material extraction, manufacturing, transport, installation, maintenance, and end-of-life stages. Second, the operational performance of the agrivoltaic systems is explored through the joint assessment of electricity generation and grape production, addressing the multifunctionality challenge inherent to agrivoltaics through allocation and system expansion approaches.

Preliminary findings suggest that lightweight vertical agrivoltaic configurations may reduce structural material demand while contributing to multifunctional land use and climate adaptation in viticulture. The proposed framework contributes to the development of holistic assessment methodologies for resilient Mediterranean agroecosystems under increasing climate pressure.