Agrivoltaics

German tracker manufacturer Ideematec has adapted its Horizon L:TEC tracker for a series of agrivoltaic projects totaling 100 MW that will be developed in France by Spanish developer Amda Energía. The new tracker is claimed to be able to operate synergistically with the agricultural equipment.

Spain’s Tranesol is setting up two energy communities that will be powered by 2.5 MW of agrivoltaics. The two facilities will be located in the Valencian Community, which is at the forefront for supporting projects for solar power sharing.

According to new guidelines by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE, agrivoltaic projects are already competitive with other renewable energy sources today. The lack of a proper regulatory framework, however, is currently preventing the dual use of arable land for food production and power generation from becoming a mainstream solution.

Both solar and the farming industry are beginning to see potential in the combined use of land for food production and energy generation. And as innovators begin to experiment with different forms, it’s becoming clear that in most cases it is solar that will have to bend to the needs of agriculture, and not the other way around, to ensure a positive outcome.

Spanish-Japanese renewable energy company Univergy Solar and local partner New Energy Development are set to begin construction on the 120 MW Wallaroo Solar Farm on the border between New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory by the end of 2021. The agrivoltaic installation will operate symbiotically as a generator of clean energy, grazing land and a thriving habitat for native vegetation and pollinators.

The Israel Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Agriculture have decided to implement a pilot research program to assess the feasibility of agrivoltaic projects in the country. The possibility of combining PV and agriculture in a land with limited land availability and increasing energy demand is considered a win-win solution by the government.

The solar cell manufacturing facility, located in China’s Yunnan Province, is expected to raise Jinko’s cell capacity to 30 GW by the end of 2021.

The solar park will host sheep grazing and sell power to green energy provider Enercoop under a 30-year PPA.

Agrivoltaics could result in more food, more energy, lower water demand, lower carbon emissions, and more prosperous rural communities, says an Oregon State University researcher. He plans to build a farm to prove the point.

The French energy regulator has allocated 146.2 MW in the procurement exercise. The final average price was €0.0815/kWh.