Arable farming and green electricity

20.06.2024

Source: Energie & Management Powernews

RWE and the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture report progress in their Agri-PV research projects.

Electricity is already being harvested in the Rhenish mining district, and now the plants have also been planted: Farmers have now sown the first seeds - alfalfa and a clover-grass mixture - and planted raspberry bushes at RWE's Agri-PV demonstration plant.

The plant, which has a capacity of 3.2 MW, is located on a recultivation area of around 7 hectares on the edge of the Garzweiler open-cast mine. RWE is using three different concepts to test how solar power generation and agriculture can optimally complement each other.

-     Variant 1: The solar modules are fixed and mounted vertically on the support structure.

-    Variant 2: The modules are mounted on a movable axis in order to follow the path of the sun from east to west. Last week, farmers from the RWE recultivation team sowed alfalfa and a mixture of clover and grass between these rows of modules. These plants are intended to prepare the soil for the cultivation of cereals, root crops and vegetables in the coming years. 

-    Variant 3: The modules are raised on a pergola-like substructure. Underneath, a farmer from the region has planted raspberries in pots. Among other things, this form of cultivation should enable healthy plant growth with high yields and more predictable harvest times. 

RWE now wants to observe the interaction between plant growth and PV technology under different seasonal weather conditions over a period of at least five years. The aim is to develop suitable management methods and economical operator concepts for agrivoltaic systems based on the knowledge gained.

The project is being scientifically supported by the Institute of Plant Sciences at the Jülich Research Center and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. The project is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia through the "progres.nrw" program for climate protection and the energy transition.

Research facility in Grub, Bavaria, put into operation

Agri-PV research is also making progress in Bavaria: Agriculture Minister Kaniber (CSU) and Economics Minister Aiwanger (Freie Wähler) have put the Grub research and demonstration facility into operation here. Three different PV module types are also being tested in operation here: a sun-tracking system, a high-mounted system and a vertical system.

Studies are planned on the interactions between agri-PV systems and agricultural crops, on the economy and ecology. The researchers also want to investigate the cultivation effort and the microclimate on the areas of the Bavarian state farms not far from Munich.

The modules take up around 15 percent of the area, leaving 85 percent for agriculture. With an output of 0.9 MW, this constellation is a unique project in Germany in terms of research and implementation, according to a statement from the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture.

Minister of Agriculture Kaniber commented: "Farmers can see different concepts here and find out what impact the systems can have on agricultural production. That's great, because we want to offer our food producers solid knowledge for the future. This is necessary so that they can position themselves in the best possible way."

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien