Agriculture

Schletter’s planning tool gets a radical update, Tritec Energy combines aesthetics and efficiency in a new in-roof system, Solaredge streamlines installation with a new app, and Ernst Schweizer launches its rooftop all-rounder, the Multitool – these are this week’s top products.

This special edition explores how farmers can use land more efficiently by combining agriculture with solar energy. It also covers technology, insurance and the shift to e-mobility in farming.

Vertical solar modules boost farmland yields and land use. Marius Sinn of Next2Sun explains the benefits and installation approach.

Agricultural photovoltaics are gaining ground, but how exactly can farmers benefit from installing solar systems on arable land and grassland?

An Austrian developer and green energy plant operator has completed the first in a planned series of hybrid installations. Altogether, the initiative will deliver around 400 megawatts of solar capacity.

Soltech’s Spanish subsidiary has completed a floating plant with 1.5 MW of capacity and covering an impressive 9,000 square metres, making it the largest of its kind in the Balearics.

A wine grower and farmer built a solar-powered well to supply water for his remote cattle shed. With no grid connection, off-grid solar was the clear solution.

Analysts from the Boston Consulting Group and BayWa r.e. have conducted a study examining the additional revenue potential of combining agriculture with photovoltaics. The study also analyses specific cash flows during the transition phase.

The dual use of farmland for agriculture and solar power is becoming increasingly common. Solargik CEO Gil Kroyzer outlines the unique advantages of the company’s trackers and how they optimise both energy generation and agricultural space.

A new study has found that biodiversity increases significantly on farmland converted to solar parks, though the pace and extent of improvement depend on local conditions.

Solar installations can help preserve soil moisture and support the local water balance. Two studies back up these claims and show that farmers can actively manage water use with the right system design.

Using a small agri-PV system, the researchers want to measure the effect of roofing solar modules over vines in the south of Spain. The experiments involve several modules fitted with numerous monitoring sensors.

Farmers often have ample roof space, but the cost of installing a PV system can be high. Alternative marketing models now allow them to benefit from solar power with no investment on their part.

The solar energy solutions company introduced a new system for vertical module mounting at the Energy Decentral trade fair. Udo Geisel, Head of Procurement, Production and Logistics, outlines the advantages of their solution.

SolarPower Europe welcomes the new Farming Strategy of the European Commission. For the first time, the EU is recognising the role of solar PV in enhancing energy security, decarbonising the sector and supplementing farmers' income.

The new Special Edition on the decentralised generation and use of solar power in agriculture has been published. It is available to download free of charge.

ZCS Azzurro is presenting high-voltage batteries for three-phase storage systems and hybrid inverters for energy independence in the home.

Farmers can mount the modules directly onto the existing weather protection. The foils and hail nets remain in place. When they are not needed, the farmer stows them beneath the modules.

The new Luna2000 ESS series from Huawei Fusionsolar offers flexible storage capacities of 107, 161 and 215 kilowatt hours and ensures maximum efficiency with a charging and discharging capacity of up to 108 kilowatts.

The agricultural solar project in Austria attracted significant local interest, with the community quickly contributing to its funding goal.

To mitigate land use conflicts between agriculture and photovoltaics, researchers at the University of Sheffield have been investigating the abundant potential of combining the two.

Photovoltaics have transitioned from a niche technology to a crucial energy source in Central and Eastern Europe. Against a varying political and economic backdrop, rising energy prices, geopolitical risks and decarbonisation are all serving to drive interest.

Agrivoltaics combines solar power and agriculture, offering genuinely niche opportunities. Nevertheless, it won't replace traditional solar parks, says Carsten Bovenschen, CEO of Juwi.

The energy provider secured contracts as part of the latest Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan auction. Both agri-PV projects in the Naples region are being developed as tracker systems.

Hungary’s renewable energy landscape is poised for a significant boost as Uniper embarks on the construction of two large-scale solar photovoltaic projects. These solar parks are set to inject a combined capacity of 151 megawatts peak into the Hungarian power grid.