Photovoltaic-Integrated Greenhouses in Mediterranean Climates

Photovoltaic greenhouses (PVGs) are emerging as a key pathway for integrating renewable energy generation with protected horticulture, particularly in the Mediterranean region where high solar irradiance coincides with increasing pressure on water, land, and energy resources. This study presents a structured narrative review with a qualitative comparative synthesis of 24 peer-reviewed case studies, published from 2014 to 2025, identified through structured searches in Scopus and Web of Science and selected based on predefined relevance and eligibility criteria. Results indicate that crop yield responses to PV coverage are highly crop, season and configuration dependent. Yield stability is most consistently reported at lower coverage levels (approximately 10–20%), while higher coverage ranges (30–50%) show more variable outcomes. Mediterranean PVGs generate between 5 and 55 kWh/m2 annually, depending on system configuration and PV coverage, supporting partial to high levels of energy autonomy. Economic analyses, based on a limited number of studies, report payback periods of 7.2–14.4 years and internal rates of return (IRR) of 6–14%, particularly under supportive policy frameworks. This review identifies indicative design thresholds, and crop-specific sensitivities while outlining technological and agronomic knowledge gaps and research priorities for optimizing PVG deployment in high-irradiance Mediterranean regions. Overall, PVGs demonstrate strong potential as climate-adaptive, low-carbon solutions for sustainable protected agriculture, although conclusions are constrained by a limited and methodologically heterogeneous evidence base.