<
https://balkangreenenergynews.com/solar-panels-above-orchards-lower-temperature-help-conserve-water/>
"Agrisolar is becoming an increasingly popular solution. It is a combination of
agriculture and electricity generation from photovoltaic panels. Such devices
are usually mounted at a height of almost two and a half meters in rows so that
the land below can be used to grow vegetables and fruit or for cattle grazing.
In the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône and Drôme in the south of France, the
company Sun’Agri studied the performance of agrisolar systems in combination
with fruit farming. For three years, the company monitored a series of
parameters in orchards with apple, cherry, and nectarine trees under solar
power panels. They were compared against equivalent orchards that were not
covered.
The analysis reveals that the temperature on the test estate in
Bouches-du-Rhône was 3.8 degrees Celsius lower than in ordinary orchards. In
addition, soil moisture was 14% higher. The company also found that the
agrivoltaic system contributed to water conservation. The need for irrigation
from 2019 to 2021 was up to 30% lower than on the reference plots or 22% on
average.
With its dynamic panels, Sun’Agri adjusts the orientation of the photovoltaic
panels to the physiological needs of the fruit trees, in accordance with the
weather conditions."
Via Diane A.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
