Agrivoltaics

Spain’s largest utility has completed the installation of its first two PV plants to be connected to the grid in the Andalusian province of Seville. The €70 million project is seen as a pioneering example of agrivoltaics for the company.

The economic feasibility of plant factories has been questionable because of energy costs. Now, customers of one containerized farm provider in the United States can opt for 100% clean energy with a subscription service.

Solar power developers have until December 28 to bid for an aggregate 6.4 GW of grid-connected solar power capacity in Andhra Pradesh, which will be spread across 10 locations in the state. The Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation will serve as the offtaker and supply the power procured from these projects to meet the demand of agricultural loads in the state.

Researchers have modeled the effects of various PV module arrangements on a greenhouse used for rose growing in Iran’s Shiraz region. The team determined a ‘sweet spot’ where modules produced the most energy and provided optimal growth conditions for the crop.

Solarpower Europe has called on member states to put solar and battery storage front and center when it comes to drawing up the Recovery and Resilience plans needed to secure a slice of the bloc’s proposed €672.5 billion post-Covid stimulus package.

Sun’Agri and RGreen Invest have launched an initiative aimed at deploying around 300 agrivoltaic projects in France by 2025.

A number of drivers are highlighting the importance of vegetation management in utility-scale solar projects, from coupling with agriculture to the significance of pollinators, as well as the related permitting and O&M benefits. Tom Karas of Minnesota Native Landscapes sets out why awareness of comprehensive vegetation management is of growing importance in the solar sector.

Maxsolar is building a ground-mounted, 11.5 MW solar plant near Wien where 150 Jura will graze.

Belgian researchers are testing agrivoltaic power generation in a pear orchard. The first pilot project features specially designed 185 W solar panels with transparent backsheets, conventional silicon cells, and a 21% efficiency rate.

German tech company Tube Solar AG has secured €10.8 million to develop its cylindrical agrivoltaic modules. The lightweight devices could also be used on roofs until now considered unsuitable for PV.