New Study Examines Justice Implications of Agrivoltaics Across Europe

As the race to decarbonize intensifies, agrivoltaics — the integration of agricultural production with renewable electricity generation on the same land -has emerged as a promising solution to land-use conflicts. However, a new comparative study, recently published on the scientific journal Energy Research & Social Science warns that without proactive regulation and inclusive planning, this technology risks perpetuating the same socioeconomic inequalities that have plagued other renewable energy sectors.

The research, conducted across four European Union regions in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands, represents the first comprehensive examination of justice implications in agrivoltaics deployment. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with experts and applying an environmental and energy justice framework, the study reveals critical concerns about benefit distribution, decision-making access, and the marginalization of underrepresented voices—particularly as projects scale beyond pilot initiatives.

Filling a Critical Gap While previous agrivoltaics research has focused predominantly on engineering and natural science perspectives, social dimensions have remained largely unexplored. Existing social studies have typically concentrated on public acceptance or resistance, without deeper consideration of equity and inclusivity under a just energy transition framework.

"Addressing these gaps is urgent,"says Silvia Tomasi, first author of the study. "As agrivoltaics scales globally, overlooking its social dimensions risks reproducing existing inequalities, constraining public legitimacy, and limiting its transformative potential."

Balancing Climate Goals with Social Equity The study underscores a fundamental tension: agrivoltaics offers substantial benefits for both agricultural and energy sectors, yet its implementation must be carefully managed to ensure that decarbonization goals don't come at the cost of social justice. Key challenges identified include unequal distribution of economic benefits, exclusion of local communities and farmers from planning processes, and the potential sidelining of marginalized groups' concerns.

Implications for Policy and Practice The findings provide actionable insights for academics, policymakers, developers, and other stakeholders involved in agrivoltaics deployment. By highlighting specific justice-related concerns across diverse European contexts, the research offers a roadmap for building trust and designing more equitable strategies. The researchers stress that thorough and proactive regulation is essential to foster a genuinely just energy transition—one that integrates climate action with principles of equity and inclusivity from the outset, rather than treating social considerations as an afterthought.

As countries worldwide accelerate renewable energy deployment to meet climate targets, this study serves as a timely reminder that technological solutions must be coupled with social innovation to ensure that the transition benefits all members of society.