As the world population continues to grow, so does the demand for food. To tackle the climate crisis, the world needs to deploy photovoltaics on agricultural land and land surfaces. In order to follow the trend of the times , agricultural photovoltaic technology effectively combines the two fields of agriculture and renewable energy power generation. Building solar panels on farmland could bring us into a new energy world faster, while still ensuring vital agricultural production. With this in mind, Intersolar Europe, the world's leading exhibition for the solar industry, will focus on this topic. Intersolar Europe will collaborate with the French-German Office for Energy Transition (DFBEW) to showcase new business models and best practices in France and Germany. The Intersolar Europe Conference will also explore topics related to agricultural photovoltaic technology. Intersolar Europe will be held in Munich from June 14-16, 2023 as part of "The smarter E Europe", Europe's premier energy industry platform.
Agricultural photovoltaic technology is currently gaining popularity. The Agricultural Photovoltaic project demonstrates that solar power and agriculture can go hand in hand, to mutual benefit, and to deftly resolve conflicts over available land surface.
Self-sufficient renewable electricity is an excellent opportunity for farmers to add solar installations to their property, not only helping farmers use renewable electricity generated on the land, but also reducing their bills for using grid-powered electricity. Farmers can also sell excess electricity for additional income. In addition, agricultural photovoltaic installations can increase the resilience and yield of agricultural operations, as solar modules can protect fruit and specialty crops from heavy rain, hail, or drought.
Europe recognizes potential of agricultural photovoltaics
In many European countries, farmers and political decision makers are increasingly recognizing the potential of agricultural photovoltaics. For example, Italy recently passed new regulations to determine which agricultural photovoltaic installations are eligible to apply for funding from a 1.1 billion euro government incentive program, thereby promoting the development of innovative agricultural photovoltaic installations. As another example, Germany is piloting a combination of apple farming and agricultural photovoltaics in Gelsdorf in the Rhineland Palatinate, while France has begun installing solar power on rows of vines. solar panels.
Tractors and trackers - the combination of the two is becoming more and more popular
The method of covering crops with elevated solar panels is especially noteworthy as it is good for growing grapes, fruit, berries or herbs, and anything that prefers partial shade. French grape growers are already using this method. In addition, solar roofs can replace traditional hail nets or plastic greenhouses to protect crops from drought.
Integrating solar energy installations in agricultural production opens up many fields of application. Standalone solar installations in fields and meadows can also be equipped with trackers to track the sun's path, increasing yields by around 20 percent compared to traditional stationary installations. Solar panels can also be moved to other locations so they don't interfere with farm machinery operations.
Agricultural Photovoltaics: Hot Topic at Intersolar Europe
For all kinds of knowledge about agricultural solar power, welcome to Intersolar Europe. The conference "Agricultural Photovoltaics in France and Germany: Technology Potential, Business Models and Best Practices" will be held at the Intersolar Forum on June 15 at 3:20 pm CEST and will present proven solutions and applications for details. Many exhibitors will also offer more hands-on experience, such as BayWare AG, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Next2Sun GmbH, Goldbeck Solar GmbH and SunFarming GmbH, to name a few. Intersolar Europe Conference sessions will discuss agricultural photovoltaics the day before the show. Experts will gather to discuss the potential of solar energy in agriculture.
Intersolar Europe will be held at Messe München from 14 to 16 June 2023 as part of Smart Energy Europe 2023. At that time, more than 8.5 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend. More than 2,200 exhibitors will be waiting for you in 17 exhibition halls covering an area of 180,000 square meters.