Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) co-locate photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation and agricultural production on the same land parcel. While their technical potential is increasingly recognized, the sustainability and circularity of their support structures remain underexplored. The objective of this work is to assess the sustainability of these elements, trough aspects of circularity, environment and costs. To this end, the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment (MIVES) is applied to compare two material alternatives—galvanized steel and structural timber—for an elevated, single-axis AVS support structure designed to carry 28m2 of PV modules. The decision model includes social, environmental and circularity requirements, 7 criteria and 24 indicators. Results show that timber achieves a substantially higher sustainability index (0,63) than steel (0,32) under the baseline weighting, driven by lower environmental burdens, reduced dependence on non-renewable resources and favorable end of life options. A sensitivity analysis, varying requirement weights, confirms the selection of timber as the most sustainable alternative. The study demonstrates how MIVES can integrate circularity and sustainability into design decisions for AVS and identifies priorities for future methodological development and data refinement.
Campos-González et al. (Thu,) studied this question.