PhD Agrivoltaics crop production

Your job

We are looking for a highly motivated and proactive PhD candidate who wants to study the impact of solar pilot installations on crop production in agrivoltaics systems.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to the design of efficient and practical agrivoltaic systems. To this end, you will quantify the performance of a range of plant species across a number of different agrivoltaic setups available within the project. You will determine growth, development, yield and underlying performance traits such as photosynthesis and evapotranspiration of the plants, and the heterogeneity in these traits in relation to solar panel setup and characteristics. You will also observe disease pressure and a range of soil parameters. To understand plant functioning, you will additionally quantify microclimatic variables related to light and humidity within the agrivoltaic setups. You will use this information to analyse how agrivoltaic systems could be tuned and optimized.

Your responsibilities and opportunities will encompass:

• Designing and executing experiments with crops in agrivoltaics systems
• Analyse complex data sets involving a diversity of crop and crop related variables
• Participate in the daily operations of the project Sunbiose 2 (including project reporting)
• Supervise MSc and BSc students
• Writing and presenting research at/in internationally renowned conferences/journals

For the background information on agrivoltaics and the project Sunbiose 2, please go to the end of this vacancy.

You will work here
As you participate in a project of Wageningen Research, you will be appointed at the team ACRRES (Application Centre for Renewable RESources, www.acrres.nl) in the Business Unit Field Crops, which is located in Lelystad. The ACRRES project leader of Sunbiose 2, Dr. Hellen Elissen will be your daily supervisor and first co-promotor. Your second co-promotor will be project collaborator Dr. Frank de Ruijter from the Business unit Agrosystems Research (Wageningen). The research is further embedded within the chair Crop Physiology, part of the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, which is led by Prof. Jochem Evers  in Wageningen. Hence, your main office location will be in Lelystad, but you’ll frequently work on campus in Wageningen (at WU or WR). During the growing season you will often visit the different pilot locations to do field work.

Your qualities

As a PhD candidate, you will develop and execute measurement protocols to quantify plant and microclimate in agrivoltaic systems. You will communicate your results with other scientists and teams within and beyond Sunbiose 2. We are looking for a person that is highly motivated, proactive, a teamplayer, and ‘gets things done’.  

You also possess:

• A successfully completed MSc degree in plant/crop science, environmental science, or biology.
• You have experience in detailed plant measurements in diverse environments, using a range of different techniques, and you like doing fieldwork.
• You know how to statistically analyse complex datasets in order to derive relationships relevant to the optimisation of agrivoltaic systems.
• You have strong collaborative skills and want to contribute to the project as whole.
• You can clearly communicate your plans, results, and interpretation orally and in writing.
• A valid driving license, as the role requires frequent travel to pilot locations.

Proficiency in Dutch is a large plus, given the need to communicate with staff at experimental farms, local farmers, and the majority of the project consortium partners.
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8,3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.753,– per month rising to € 3.519,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreement Wageningen Research Foundation (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 36 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about the position, please contact Hellen Elissen, Senior Researcher, via email (preferred): hellen.elissen@wur.nl or phone: 06 20 895 892

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with recruitment support via email: recruitment.support@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until June 2nd 2025. The first interviews are scheduled for June 12th and 13th 2025. The intended starting date for the PhD candidate is July 1st or 15th.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/efLmvbnjpR

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

Background on agrivoltaics and the project Sunbiose 2
The transition to renewable energy includes the growing use of solar panels. Besides rooftops and infrastructure, panels can also be installed on farmland. Agrivoltaics (Agri-PV) combines agriculture and solar energy on the same land, aiming for dual land use that supports both food and energy production. In harsh climates, this can be a clear win-win, but in temperate regions like the Netherlands, trade-offs arise: too many panels reduce crop yields due to shading, while fewer panels lower energy output and economic feasibility.

Wageningen Plant Research leads several agrivoltaics projects focusing on both open-field and greenhouse systems. Early work looked at fruit crops; recent efforts include arable land and grasslands. Most projects are based in the Netherlands, with international extensions. Agrivoltaics involves growing crops under or between solar panels, aiming to share light efficiently between plant growth and energy production. In June 2025, the follow-up to the Sunbiose agrivoltaics project (www.sunbiose.nl) — Sunbiose 2 — will begin.

The first Sunbiose project showed that reduced light under panels in the Netherlands can significantly lower crop yields. Sunbiose 2 builds on these findings and expands the focus from fruit to arable farming and greenhouse production. The project has four main goals:

1. Develop scalable Agri-PV systems that are economically viable and minimize crop yield loss.
2. Promote local use of solar energy through research on direct use, storage, and conversion methods.
3. Ensure sustainable land use by maintaining soil health, biodiversity, and productivity.
4. Lower the cost per kWh by optimizing system design.

To achieve this, Sunbiose 2 will set up and test up to seven pilot fields across different Dutch farming regions. These will include various crops. As a PhD candidate you will be involved in the long-term data collection which will focus on crop growth, soil health, biodiversity, microclimate, and energy yield. Other topics that will be addressed in the project are the development of digital models to simulate solar-crop interactions and creating business cases for specific system setups. It is possible to participate in these topics as well, but in addition to the main focus area. In the end, the Sunbiose 2 project will show the best practices for integrating Agri-PV into farming and the landscape, including recommendations to support biodiversity.

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.