Chilean fruit exporters use sunlight for grape production

Being the driest desert on Earth, it has one of the highest levels of sunlight in the world.

 

Here in the northern part of Chile, clouds appear, at the most, 30 days a year.

 

These climatic conditions, combined with enormous empty land strips along the Atlantic coast, should make it the ideal place to exploit the sun as a source energy.

 

The potential for solar energy is huge in Atacama, and Chile needs to use it. But you can hardly see solar panels.

 

So in a small solar park in the valley of Copiapo seems like the exception, strangely
lost in the hills and mountains of Atacama.

 

It is managed by Subsole, one of the largest Chilean producers of fresh fruit and
German partner, the renewable energy company Kraftwerk.

 

"We wanted to seize the opportunity that the Atacama desert offers," explains Jose
Miguel Fernandez of Subsole, while walking in the bright panels that make use
the scorching sun.

 

"This project is consistent with our commitment to the environment for future generations and is a way to get that, hopefully, others will follow our fruit growers way."

 

Copiapo is a green oasis in the desert, with Subsole vineyards thriving on a nature reserve of groundwater. And to irrigate these vineyards, Subsole uses the sun.

 

Solar energy will help the company to pump water during the day and afternoon watering or overnight.

Source: Terra.com.co