Agriculture

Due to approval delays, construction of the tracker system could not start until late autumn last year. Nevertheless, the project was completed on time. In future, it will be under scientific monitoring.

In the special Solar Energy for Farmers you can read the latest developments in the field of double-use of farmland and self-sufficiency of farms with energy from the sun.

Manufacturer Winaico presents a new Topcon solar module with 515 watts of power. The WST-515NHX54-A4 is based on heterojunction technology.

The new Special Edition on the decentralised generation and use of solar power in agriculture has been published. It is available to download free of charge.

A wine grower and farmer has built a solar-powered well to pump water for his cattle herd. The cow shed is far away from the grid, so it has to operate self-sufficiently. There was only one obvious solution.

A solar folding roof for large areas, a solar roof tile with a dragon scale pattern, a home storage unit with up to 66 kilowatt hours and a black module focussed on aesthetics. These are our products of the week.

Sunstyle has added three new colours to its range of solar roof tiles: the manufacturer now offers solar tiles in terracotta orange, red and brown in addition to modules in black and grey.

The Swiss company DHP Technology is also presenting its solar folding roof technology at E-World in Essen. The patented Horizon solar folding roof covers already sealed surfaces such as sewage treatment plants, car parks and industrial areas for electricity production.

The energy provider was successful in the recent Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan auction. Both projects are being realised in the region around Naples as tracker systems.

SolarPower Europe welcomes the new Farming Strategy of the European Commission. For the first time, the EU recognises the role of solar PV in enhancing energy security, decarbonising the sector and supplementing farmers' income.

There was great interest in financially participating in the agricultural solar project in Austria. The local population in particular invested - within record time.

According to the project developer Futura Group, the project in Sardinia is the largest solar plant combining agriculture and photovoltaics to date. Aiko has been chosen to supply the modules.

The practice of producing solar energy and food on the same surface, Agri-PV, is becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe. In our main topic next week we present some interesting project examples and research projects.

Fashion is often criticized for its environmental impact, but H&M Group is committed to sustainability. The company has a history of investing in power purchase agreements (PPAs) and energy storage systems. In November 2024, H&M signed a long-term PPA with Polish developer R.Power to boost its global sustainability efforts.

Analysts from the Boston Consulting Group and Baywa r.e. have conducted a study to analyse the additional profits possible through agriculture in combination with photovoltaics. They also looked at the specific cash flows during the transition phase.

The use of agricultural land for additional electricity production with photovoltaics is gaining more and more attention. Our special shows how farmers can refine their land with solar energy. It is available to download for free.

Rome is supporting the construction of more than 1.5 gigawatts of agri-PV capacity with market premiums and investment subsidies. The prerequisite is that agricultural production is still possible.

The Austrian project developer and operator of green energy plants has built the first project in a whole series of hybrid generators of this type. In total, the company's offensive includes some 400 megawatts of solar power.

A solar carport with just one support, a new air-to-water heat pump, a monitoring system for tiled roofs and software that optimises energy trading and the state of charge of batteries. These are our top products of the week.

A German farmer uses his abundant surplus from his photovoltaic array to heat water with a heating rod. He manages completely without electricity from the grid – even in winter. Read about how it works.

Farmers are showing great interest in photovoltaic systems. This special issue is dedicated to the topic of self-generated electricity in agriculture. It is available to download for free.

The Alhendín solar park south of Granada has been feeding electricity into the grid since May 2024. The agri-PV system combines solar power generation with agricultural production. The concept enables the use of modern agricultural machinery between the rows of solar modules.

The European Investment Bank EIB is granting a loan of 69 million euros to the Valencia-based transport company EMT. With the money, EMT wants to make its own fleet of e-buses greener. The plan is to purchase 145 e-buses to replace old vehicles.

This edition of the Special, among other topics, highlights the opportunities that farmers have to utilise land for multiple purposes. You will also find information on technology, insurance and the switch to e-mobility in agriculture.

Agrivoltaics is considered to have a promising future. However, the example of Germany shows that the building law slows down many projects and the projects have to struggle with material price increases.