The aim of the research project is to study the feasibility of agrivoltaic systems in Sweden. The research project has mainly focused on installing the first experimental facility in Sweden, consisting of a vertical bifacial agrivoltaic system, and a cutting-edge monitoring system to analyse the performances of the dual system. The experimental facility will serve to validate the integrated modelling platform for agrivoltaic systems simulations and optimizations developed at Mälardalen University. Currently, the research group is composed by two senior scientists, Pietro Elia Campana and Bengt Stridh, and two PhD students, Sebastian Zainali and Silvia Ma Lu, who are the first PhD students in agrivoltaic systems in Sweden.
The Solar Energy Award is provided by Svensk Solenergi, the Solar Energy Association in Sweden, to plants, companies, or private individuals where considerable progress has been made in the solar PV sector. The award ceremony was presented by Anna Kinberg Batra, Chair of The Solar Energy Association, on Thursday 17th of February 2022. The award was announced by the Swedish Minister for Energy and Minister for Digital Development Khashayar Farmanbar.
The jury’s motivation was: “While the public debate is currently ongoing about how agricultural interests should be weighed against the energy transformation, the agrivoltaic team at Mälardalen University has invested in combining the two. With a unique test facility in Sweden and a simulation model that is also internationally sought after, this team has provided an effective breeding ground for both fields of crops and research arenas in Sweden and in the world. The jury views agrivoltaic systems as having great potential, which can play a significant role in the expansion of solar energy production in Sweden. It can also contribute to the energy transformation, food production and farmers' profitability”.
“2021 has been an intense year and we are extremely honoured to have received such prize because it acknowledges all the hard work to install the agrivoltaic system and its monitoring system and develop the mathematical model. We are also extremely satisfied of the performances of the system during the first season with no statistical differences between the crop seasonal yield under the agrivoltaic and the ground control”, Assoc. Prof. Pietro Elia Campana and project leader told PV magazine. Senior researcher Bengt Stridh commented: “Agrivoltaics can solve the conflict between farming and electricity production on agriculture land. The potential is huge and can release a multi-billion market for PV in Sweden. The interest for the project from farmers, PV installers and media has been very encouraging through the project”. PhD student Silvia Ma Lu comments on the award: “To be selected as the winners of the Solar Energy Prize 2022 by Svensk Solenergi in the category of Achievement of the Year for the agrivoltaic facility is an enormous honour. As a PhD student performing research directly on this facility, this award sets the bar high and gives additional motivation for continuing the work and delivering quality results”.
The research project is being financed by Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten), with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Solkompaniet AB, and Kärrbo Prästgård AB as project partners. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Uppsala University, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy, and the US' NASA ARC are participating as scientific collaborators. The project will continue next years with funding received by FORMAS – The Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development.
