Economía y Agricultura en Puerto Rico – Eduardo Bonilla

Agrovoltaics in Puerto Rico: harvesting food and energy (English Version)

Our island, Puerto Rico, faces two major simultaneous challenges: achieving greater food security and addressing structural problems in its electrical system. Agrovoltaics—the integration of agricultural production with solar energy generation on the same land—emerges as a highly promising strategy to tackle both issues. In Puerto Rico, it is already being promoted through initiatives such as AgroEnergía PR, which specifically aims to foster sustainability on farms through this technology.

What is agrovoltaics?

Agrovoltaics consists of installing solar panels on agricultural land in such a way that the land can continue to be used for cultivation underneath or between the panels. The benefits are:

• Dual use of land (food production + electricity generation).
• Partial shade for certain crops that would be harmed by extreme full sun.
• Potential extra income (electricity generated) for farmers.
• Greater resilience against adverse weather conditions.

Current situation in Puerto Rico

• The Puerto Rican government has an initiative called the AgroEnergía PR Project that promotes agrovoltaics as part of its energy transformation policy.
• One of the most recent documents, Advances and Results of AgroEnergía PR (2024), reports multisector commitments to research, promote, and pilot agrovoltaic installations, although few full-scale farms are actively operating with dual use (crops + energy) so far.
• According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture for Puerto Rico, the use of renewable energies on farms, such as solar panels, is still very low and incipient, although it is recognized as an opportunity for resilience against power outages and for meeting needs such as refrigeration, irrigation, and more.

Possible concrete benefits for Puerto Rico

1. Food security + lower cost: Producing local food with less dependence on imports, reducing transportation and losses, while harnessing solar energy for agricultural operations (water pumping, refrigeration, etc.).
2. Energy resilience: Agricultural lands with solar panels can generate part of the electricity needed on the farm, reducing vulnerability to blackouts and problems with the power grid.
3. Sustainable economy and income diversification: Farmers could generate income not only from crops but also from selling or using the electricity produced, which improves profitability.
4. Climate change adaptation: Panels can provide partial shade, helping to reduce heat stress in sensitive crops; in addition, it is a way to mitigate environmental impact.

Challenges for widespread adoption

• The initial investment is high: acquiring solar panels, structural support, and permits. Incentives and public or private financing are needed.
• Regulatory rules: permits for energy interconnection, purchasing tariffs, tax incentives, and land-use zoning.
• Selection of suitable crops: not all crops tolerate partial shade or changes in solar radiation.
• Education and technology transfer: farmers need technical training, knowledge of solar equipment maintenance, and proper agrovoltaic system design.
• Pilot scale vs. commercial scale: many projects are still at the demonstration stage; scaling up and replicating profitably takes time.

Key data shaping the context

In the 2022 Census of Agriculture in Puerto Rico, farms, production, land use, etc. are reported, but the use of solar panels on farms is still marginal. The AgroEnergía PR initiative is being activated as a public policy to stimulate these models, mainly through pilot projects, feasibility studies, and university collaborations.

Conclusion

Agrovoltaics has the potential to become one of the key components for the agricultural future of Puerto Rico: producing food more efficiently, generating clean energy, diversifying income, and increasing climate and energy resilience. Although not all elements are yet functioning on a large scale, the existence of initiatives such as AgroEnergía PR and the Census data show that we are at a turning point. If clear policies, financial incentives, technical training, and effective pilot projects are established, agrovoltaics could move from being a promise to a transformative reality on the island.

The Official Sponsor of this article is:

De Mi Tierra a Mi Pueblo Corp. 🌱 Committed to Agriculture and Food Security in Puerto Rico.

References

• Energy Bureau, Puerto Rico. Agroenergía: Transformación Energética en Puerto Rico (Proyecto AgroEnergía PR).
• Energy Bureau, Puerto Rico. Artículo: Energía agrovoltaica — Energía renovable + agricultura.
• USDA NASS. Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture 2022 – Full Report.
• USDA NASS. Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture 2022 – Renewable energy use on farms, solar panels.
• Gobierno de Puerto Rico. Avances y Resultados de AgroEnergía PR (10 de junio de 2024).
• Energía Estratégica. Agroenergía: la plataforma multisectorial que busca innovar con agrovoltaica en Puerto Rico. 

September 18, 2025