The global potential of aquavoltaics for power generation and offsetting the carbon footprint of freshwater aquaculture.

Global inland freshwater aquaculture has rapidly expanded, intensifying greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability challenges. Here we estimate whether aquavoltaics, integrating photovoltaics with aquaculture, could offer multifunctional benefits. We integrate satellite observation products with realistic climate-driven photovoltaic system simulations to map the global expansion patterns and installation potential of aquavoltaics. Global aquavoltaics area covered 423 km2 in 2023, with China accounting for the overwhelming majority (97%). We estimate that deploying photovoltaics with a 40% coverage rate across over 50,000 km2 of landside clustering of aquaculture ponds globally could yield an electricity generation potential of 4,143 ± 145 TWh yr-1. Aquavoltaics deployment could support energy self-sufficiency in 878 cities and offset the freshwater aquaculture carbon footprint in 61 countries through grid-level avoided emissions. These findings highlight aquavoltaics as a scalable pathway within the energy-food-climate nexus to support sustainable aquaculture and low-carbon energy futures alongside aquatic food production.