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.
EDF Renewables has partnered with a new portfolio company of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group to acquire a French agrophotovoltaic developer with a 2.4GW solar portfolio.
Solar PV systems could become a “very interesting compliment” to France’s agricultural sector as developers seek to add capacity and land is in higher demand, according to the chief executive of renewable trade body Syndicat des énergies renouvelables (SER).
Solar services provider Greencells has formed a joint venture with Italian developer Renewable Consulting to develop a 350MWp solar project portfolio in Pugila.
BayWa r.e. and its Dutch subsidiary GroenLeven have expanded an agrophotovoltaic installation in the Netherlands to help protect fruit from hail, heavy rain and extreme heat.
Residents living near two towns on the east coast of Spain will soon be able to sign up to receive power from the country’s first community agrophotovoltaic projects, which are being built to help reduce local electricity bills while exploring the impact solar shading has on the cultivation of tropical fruit.
Enel Green Power has begun a new programme to explore how to successfully integrate arable and pastoral farming activities alongside large-scale solar PV projects.
A large-scale solar PV system paired with pumped hydro energy storage could cover as much as 25% of the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i’s energy demand, pushing the island’s total share of renewables in its energy mix past 80%.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has received €740,000 (US$866,429) in financing to explore land use conflicts between solar farms and agricultural land.
