Agrivoltaics

According to SolarPower Europe, local agriculture and solar energy could become the engines of a sustainable European economy. The trade body has created a task force, led by French independent power producer Amarenco, that aims to place agrivoltaics at the top of the European agricultural policy agenda, while also establishing global standards for the segment.

The Danish Energy Agency says there will be large scale PV projects in the Nissum Fjord area. One of the projects, under development by Better Energy in the municipality of Holstebro, has a planned generation capacity of 206 MW.

French oil and gas company Total is planning to install nearly 500 MW of solar generation capacity on farmland by 2025. The power company will work with French seed and agricultural supply company inVivo group to install agrivoltaic systems.

The 16-greenhouse Focola project has been developed by French renewables developer Akuo and local utility company Enercal Energies Nouvelles on the Pacific Ocean territory.

An international research group has analyzed the visual impact of PV facades on buildings which include crop cultivation. Architects, PV specialists and farmers were surveyed and the results showed broad acceptance of such projects.

Semi-transparent organic solar cells can reduce the carbon footprint and raise the crop yield of greenhouses while acting as generators and insulation. Scientists in the U.S. say greenhouses equipped with organic cells could be energy self-sufficient year round in hot and moderate-humidity climates.

The German start-up provides mounting structures for bifacial solar modules as well as PV systems which can be installed as a fence to enclose pastures. Next2Sun Mounting Systems is offering 5% annual interest over five years.

Storage has long been expected to be the handmaiden of a renewable energy world and its long awaited advances started to finally emerge in the third quarter as researchers posited R&D achievements ranging from potentially potent tungsten disulfide nanotubes to the business case for 10-year solar panels.

The Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute is planning a huge solar power project which will integrate agriculture and livestock farming in the Sabah region. The research institute claims to have already secured $50 million for the project’s first, 200 MW phase. The 25,000ha required for the projects will host up to 150,000 cattle as well as cultivation of forage crops such as kenaf, corn, wheat and hay.

The company said its technology, which is managed by an AI-based system, can be used in agrivoltaic projects.