As part of the research project 'Modellregion Agri-Photovoltaik für Baden-Württemberg', the Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and eleven other project partners are building and testing five Agri-PV pilot plants in Baden-Württemberg.
Recently, State Premier Winfried Kretschmann opened the plant above apple trees at the Bernhard fruit farm in Kressbronn on Lake Constance. The research project, which will run until 2024, is funded by the state ministries for the environment, climate and energy, and for food, rural areas and consumer protection. Within the project, the concept of agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV) with a focus on pome and soft fruit in Baden-Württemberg will be examined in detail.
Baden-Württemberg's State Premier Winfried Kretschmann, farmer Hubert Bernhard and Prof. Andreas Bett, head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, inaugurated the Agri-Photovoltaic plant in Kressbronn on May 13.
Huge opportunity for agriculture
"In Agri-Photovoltaics lies a huge opportunity for agriculture, for sustainability and for energy supply. With the Agri-Photovoltaic Model Region Baden-Württemberg, we want to show how double harvesting works - here, for example, solar energy and apples. We are providing a total of almost 2.5 million euros for this over the next three years. Today's opening of the plant in Kressbronn marks a milestone. I am grateful for the pioneering work and wish all those involved every success," said State Premier Kretschmann in his opening speech. The Agri-PV plant in Kressbronn is one of a total of five research and demonstration plants with a total rated output of up to 1,700 kilowatts. They will be built in Bavendorf, Heuchlingen, Karlsruhe, Kressbronn and Oberkirch-Nußbach.
The overall goal of the project is to answer open questions about the dual use of land for agriculture and solar power generation. With the development and construction of customized pilot plants at five different locations with different fruit and berry crops, the feasibility of various promising application areas and technologies will be investigated and design variants explored. In planning the different plant designs, initial experience from the construction of an agri-PV plant for fruit cultivation in Rhineland-Palatinate has already been incorporated.
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Further information: www.ise.fraunhofer.de