Evaluating land productivity with semi-transparent colored CdTe thin-film PV and broccoli cultivation in agrivoltaic systems

Agrivoltaics, which combines solar photovoltaics with agricultural production, offers a promising strategy to address growing demands for food and renewable energy while reducing land-use conflicts. Here, we report the performance of semi-transparent, magenta-colored cadmium telluride photovoltaic panels designed to transmit wavelengths favorable for broccoli growth under outdoor field conditions. We evaluate two panel transparency levels corresponding to average photosynthetically active radiation transmittance values of 13.2% and 19.2% under the investigated designs. Although reduced light delays crop maturity by 25 days, broccoli grown beneath the systems achieves fresh biomass comparable to open-field plants, while increasing radiation use efficiency by up to 4.5-fold. Concentrations of most macronutrients remain unchanged whereas those of micronutrients decrease, indicating altered nutrient dynamics under modified light and microclimatic conditions. These findings showcase that the studied systems have the potential to sustain broccoli yield, while simultaneously generating renewable electricity, although further validation under a broader range of conditions is needed.