Agrivoltaics

Researchers in Spain have developed a way to integrate tree-based agriculture with solar power plants based on north-south-oriented, single-axis trackers. They have identified an ideal geometric space between the module rows for crops to avoid affecting irradiance capture or the trackers.

The Slovenian solar manufacturer is offering its new product with outputs of 260 and 300W, respectively. Front efficiencies ranges from 13.5% to 14.0% and the temperature coefficient is -0.35% per degree Celsius.

The Italian government hopes to deploy 375MW of PV capacity via a new rebate scheme. The funds will be provided through the post-Covid recovery plan.

Heliene, a solar panel manufacturer, and UbiQD entered a joint development agreement for light-optimizing, energy-producing modules designed to top agrivoltaic greenhouses.

Researchers in the United States have tested organic photovoltaic filters in a greenhouse hosting lettuce growth and have found the devices’ transmission spectra may help fine-tune the characteristics of the plant. They used transcriptomic analysis to assess the key modifications of the plants grown under the solar filters.

The agrivoltaic facility may have a capacity of 1 to 3 MW and will have to be designed to comply with landscape requirements and the agricultural practices of NeoruraleHub, which applies a blue economy model to agriculture.

French specialist Sun’Agri is developing a pilot project to combine solar power generation with the cultivation of peaches, apricots, and cherries.

A document compiled by three Italian renewables associations identifies with extreme precision the area that is allowed to be used for power generation in the two most common agrivoltaics configurations — solar arrays with elevated solar modules and PV systems deployed between crop rows.

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have fabricated an integrated fully PV-powered system to extract fresh water from the atmosphere. The system uses excess heat from the solar modules to evaporate and condense water that can then be used to grow crops. Part of the water is also used to cool down the solar modules through an active cooling technique.

President Emmanuel Macron said agrivoltaics will become one of the main pillars of France’s energy system. Xavier Daval, chair of French solar commission SER-Soler, spoke with pv magazine about the recognition of the role of solar integrated into agricultural production.