Agri-PV with 164 megawatts on 180 hectares

17.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Table width 4.9 meters, tilt angle up to 70 degrees: An Agri PV system is now in operation on 180 hectares in Austria. There is plenty of space for agricultural machinery in between.

Burgenland is one of Austria's role models when it comes to the energy transition. Photovoltaics and wind power have been greatly expanded there in the past. Now the region has become a leader beyond the state's borders in one area. The company Sonnenbau, a subsidiary of the utility Burgenland Energie, has installed 260,000 PV modules on 180 hectares of farmland in the municipalities of Wallern and Tadten. This is the largest agri-PV plant in Central Europe.

"The project is a milestone for agrivoltaics in Europe, and not just because of its size," says Florian Roos. "Above all, it shows in an exemplary way how ecological agriculture, biodiversity and power generation can be combined." Ross is the head of mounting system manufacturer Schletter. Its technology is intended to ensure a holistic approach.

Free travel for agricultural machinery at the touch of a button

Schletter has installed the "Tracking System 2V". The PV modules are mounted in an east-west orientation. The "Tracker" is fitted with two modules in portrait format, the table width is 4.9 meters. Switching from power generation to arable farming is done at the touch of a button: the farmer can set the system to "cultivation mode" using a smartphone or tablet app, says Schletterer.

The module can swivel to an inclination angle of 70 degrees. This leaves six meters between the tables for the passage of agricultural machinery. "This allows us to achieve a very slim system despite the large table width, so that over 75 percent of the arable land can be used for agricultural purposes," says the company.

The space under the modular tables is also to be used. A 1.6-metre-wide flowering or biodiversity strip with plants and herbs is to be created using a local seed mixture. The project organizers are also planting hedges and bushes. They also had the dismantling of the technology in mind at the planning stage. The system is mounted on corrosion-protected steel posts driven into the ground without concrete foundations. The posts can be pulled out of the ground without leaving any residue.

Bucking the trend

Burgenland bucked the PV trend last year with this installation. As the industry association "Photovoltaic Austria" (PV Austria) announced in November, expansion in Austria slowed considerably in 2024. For the third quarter, the organization recorded a slump of 40 percent compared to the same period in 2023. The association estimated the total expansion in 2024 at around 1,600 MW - 30 percent less than in the previous year.

PV-Austria put the total installed capacity at 6,300 MW. By 2040, the capacity would have to increase to 41,000 MW if the target of climate neutrality is to be achieved by then. In order to counteract the declining expansion, industry representatives have drawn up a "future agenda".

The future agenda is available on the PV Austria website.

Author: Manfred Fischer