With DIGI-GROW, solar energy and agriculture go hand in hand: the DIGI-GROW project, coordinated by the DLR Institute of Solar Research, is developing a smart and user-friendly online tool to help farmers plan how to use land for both agriculture and energy generation using agrivoltaic systems (APV). This allows crops to grow beneath or between solar panels, enabling both food and clean energy to be produced on the same agricultural land. APV systems can make a significant contribution to the energy supply for industry, as industrial estates typically lack sufficient space for their own solar installations and are often surrounded by agricultural land. Supplying energy to industrial facilities via nearby APV installations connected by direct lines is an economically and environmentally attractive solution.
The aim of DIGI-GROW is to provide a practical and user-friendly tool. It assists with the planning of new APV systems and the optimisation of existing PV systems, whilst ensuring increased yields and improved energy and water efficiency. Using real operational data and clear recommendations for action, it helps achieve higher yields, lower water and energy consumption, and increased revenue for the business. At the same time, digitalisation enables a more informed assessment of APV systems in terms of their technical, economic and energy potential – particularly with regard to the integration of renewable energy into industrial value chains. Since the project’s launch in February 2025, DIGI-GROW has been bringing together research institutes and industry stakeholders to make APV more efficient, data-driven and accessible.
Benefits of DIGI-GROW
The DIGI-GROW online tool features an intuitive user interface designed for users without a technical background. It supports the design, operation and management of APV systems by combining historical data, real-time sensor data and digital simulation tools.
Key components will include:
Yield forecasting and monitoring
Technical, economic and environmental assessment
Life cycle assessment (LCA) specifically tailored to APV
Optimisation of water and energy consumption
Preliminary sizing for system design and feasibility studies
The developments in DIGI-GROW enable accurate predictions of APV system performance under various climatic and agronomic conditions, as well as for different consumption profiles. The technical and economic module of the software assesses system costs and profitability, whilst the irrigation component of the software is adapted to APV-specific conditions such as shading, microclimate, soil type and plant species.
The demonstration sites in Spain and Turkey serve as test beds under real-world conditions. In these ‘living labs’, sensors are integrated to monitor plant growth, water consumption and system performance. The data collected is used to validate the simulations and refine the platform’s predictive accuracy.
DIGI-GROW thus offers practical, data-driven solutions for combining agriculture, solar energy and energy requirements, thereby making them more efficient and sustainable. It helps to reduce resource consumption, increase crop yields and minimise environmental impact. For industry stakeholders, DIGI-GROW opens up new opportunities in the development, planning and integration of APV systems, particularly for the use of renewable energy in industrial processes.
As part of the project, the consortium is expanding the components of the online software, validating them across Europe and demonstrating how digitalisation and solar technology can work together to drive a sustainable transformation of the energy supply
