RWE commences operation of 3.2MW demonstration agrivoltaics project in Germany

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Research activities, located at the edge of an opencast mine, will start in spring and will last for at least five years. Image: RWE

A 3.2MW solar agrivoltaics (agriPV) project operated by German utility RWE for demonstration has started supplying electricity to the grid in Germany.

Built on about seven hectares of recultivated land at the edge of the Garzweiler opencast mine in North Rhine-Westphalia, the project will host important application research and show how solar power generation and agriculture can be co-developed at the site. Research activities will start in spring and will last for at least five years.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

German national research institution Forschungszentrum Jülich and research organisation Fraunhofer Institution for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) will provide scientific expertise for the project.

RWE said the project, funded by the North Rhine-Westphalia state, will also develop suitable cultivation methods and three operational concepts for agrivoltaics systems.

Solar modules are fixed and mounted vertically on the supporting structure, on a movable axis which allows them to follow the course of the sun from east to west, and elevated on a substructure similar to a pergola.

Additionally, the interplay between plant growth and solar PV technology will be monitored under different seasonal weather conditions over the years, according to RWE.

PV Tech examined the rising interest in agrivoltaics in an article published last year. Several important developments in agrivoltaics took place in 2023, such as the European Commission approving a €1.7 billion (US$1.8 billion) investment scheme in November 2023 to support the development of agrivoltaics in Italy.

PV Tech Premium also examined agrivoltaics deployments from a number of angles, including the emerging field of urban or rooftop agrivoltaics. The section also interviewed US agrivoltaics developer Bluewave about the lessons that the growth in agrivoltaics can teach the wider solar industry.

Read Next

September 17, 2025
Struggling Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger has formally entered into a debt moratorium, with the possibility of rescuing the entire group now looking unlikely.
September 16, 2025
The Philippines has commissioned the Batangas 1 project, the country's first to combine agriPV with a battery energy storage system (BESS).
September 12, 2025
German trade association BSW-Solar has called the German government for a simplified, standardised and more digitalised grid access for solar PV and energy storage operators.
Premium
September 10, 2025
PV Talk: Italy’s new CfD policy offers clear support for solar developers in an otherwise uncertain legislative landscape, says Terrawatt's Patrizio Donati.
September 10, 2025
A project claimed to be Germany’s largest agriPV plant has been commissioned in the north-east of the country.
September 5, 2025
Scientists from Germany and Saudi Arabia have discovered that perovskite thin-film cells are compatible with current industry standard silicon solar cells, which they claim is a “crucial step toward the industrialisation of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells”.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA