Agri-photovoltaics practical example: AgriPV system in fruit growing in Kressbronn, Germany

Producing our food will be a major challenge in the coming years. The world's population is growing and climate change is progressing. At the same time, farmers are under immense pressure to produce more on less land. In addition, production methods need to become more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly.

One component that can help in this regard is agri-photovoltaics, i.e., photovoltaic systems for the agricultural sector. These systems allow for more efficient use of fruit and vegetable growing areas, for example: sunlight is converted directly into electrical energy and can then be used for irrigation or harvesting – with all the positive consequences for the environment and climate.

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Semi-transparent solar modules are already being used in a research facility of the "Model Region Agri-Photovoltaics Baden Württemberg".

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Commercial fruit growing faces major challenges due to climate change. To avoid negative impacts on harvests, new strategies must be developed to combat rising temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as hail and heavy rainfall. Commercial fruit growers are increasingly using films and hail protection nets to prevent losses in quality and yield. Photovoltaic technology, which has developed dynamically in recent years in the form of semi-transparent, elevated modules, can make a significant contribution to preventing such climate-related damage. These agrivoltaic systems also help to reduce evaporation and the use of pesticides.

The goal of fruit production in an agri-PV system is a secure and high-quality pome fruit production combined with electricity generation. The generated electricity is intended for use in upstream and downstream areas of fruit production, for example, through the use of electrified agricultural machinery, the operation of irrigation systems, or the storage of the harvest in an electrically powered cold storage facility. Thanks to the simultaneous electricity generation, such systems can also be amortized relatively quickly.

Growing vegetables or fruit and simultaneously generating solar power on the same land – that's the dream of many farmers worldwide. It's no surprise, then, that numerous pilot projects are now in the pipeline. Solar power instead of hail netting over the apple orchard – in Kressbronn on Lake Constance, Germany's first agrivoltaic system above an existing fruit crop has gone into operation. The apples, the environment, the soil, and the climate all benefit.

The agrivoltaic pilot plant above the Bernhard fruit farm's apple orchard consists of a metal frame on which solar modules are mounted. These are our particularly robust double-glass modules with a transparency of approximately 40%. Thanks to the special mounting system, the trees receive sufficient light despite partial shading. The generated green electricity is fed into the grid of the energy supplier Regionalwerk Bodensee. Kressbronn is the easternmost municipality in Baden-Württemberg, located on the northern shore of Lake Constance and bordering Bavaria.

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• Agri-Solar for fruit growing: Agri-PV in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate for CO₂-neutral fruit cultivation (fruit and vegetables)

“Agri-photovoltaics offers a great opportunity for agriculture, sustainability, and energy supply,” said Minister-President Kretschmann, who attended the inauguration of the plant. “With this project, we want to find out, for example, how agri-PV systems in specialty crops help with weather events such as hail, heavy rain, or night frosts, and how crop yields develop.” The system is also intended to reduce the use of pesticides, plant diseases, and pest infestations.

“This is a great opportunity for agriculture, sustainability, and energy supply,” said Minister-President Kretschmann at the inauguration of the plant. “Among other things, the project aims to determine how agrivoltaic systems can help in specialty crops during weather events such as hail, heavy rain, or night frosts. And what impact do they have on crop yields?” The system is also intended to reduce the use of pesticides, plant diseases, and pest infestations.

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