Raising more than US$1 billion in equity capital in the past year, US independent power producer (IPP) Silicon Ranch is looking to expand its model of developing, owning and operating large-scale PV plants while maintaining a strategy of co-locating projects with regenerative agriculture.
Spanish energy company Iberdrola is to provide technical and financial support to four projects that are focused on promoting the coexistence of solar plants with agriculture, livestock farming and horticulture.
Renewables developer BayWa r.e. and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have built a new research project to explore how solar systems can protect plants and fruit from extreme weather.
Stephan Schindele, head of product management Agri-PV at BayWa r.e. Solar Projects, explores the mutual benefits of ‘Agri-PV’ to both solar farm operators and farmers alike, and reveals what is needed to take the sub-sector forward.
