The site is a family-run berry farm in Bodensdorf, a municipality in Lower Austria roughly halfway between Vienna and Linz, where project developer RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria and the local farm business Wurzers Genuss- und Erlebnishof have joined forces to grow berries and generate electricity on the same land.
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A year after the canopy went up, both partners are pleased with what it has delivered. The 4,760 semi-transparent modules delivered 1.85 GWh of solar power, slightly below the projected 1.98 GWh a year, which the partners say is normal from one year to the next. Sunshine in the region was lower than usual, particularly in the springtime.
Excellent fruit quality
At the same time, the canopy shields the berry crops from the weather, and farmer Dominik Wurzer is delighted. “After the first year with our agri-PV plant, we can draw an entirely positive conclusion. Our berries are very well protected from storms and intense sunlight, which is reflected in excellent fruit quality,” he says. “What is particularly gratifying is the positive feedback from our customers, who repeatedly tell us how pleasant it is to pick under the solar canopy, even on hot summer days.”
Study: plant physiology, not shading, should drive agri-PV design
The plant has also become a place where people come to learn about the dual use of farmland, as Markus Wurzer, also a farmer and Dominik’s brother, explains. “Numerous interested groups and experts have already visited our plant, and we have been invited to speak about our experience at several specialist events,” he says. “After this first year, we are more convinced than ever that agri-PV is an important building block of sustainable agriculture.”
Agri-PV – a second harvest, if the planning is right
Most of the electricity is also used locally, with part of the output going to members of the Strombeeren (“power berries”) energy community. Households, businesses and public institutions benefit from regionally generated electricity, while the money it earns stays in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, and the local energy supply becomes more secure.
A forward-looking model for agriculture
According to the project partners, the first year has proved the concept, and they see the Bodensdorf plant as an example of how regional food production, climate adaptation and renewable energy generation can be combined. “The agri-PV plant is a striking demonstration of the potential that lies in combining agriculture with renewable energy,” says Oliver Eisenhöld, head of the energy business unit at RWA. “We generate regional solar electricity, protect our crops at the same time and create lasting added value for the entire region.” (su)
