Agri-PV FAQs

Our Agri-PV systems bring together the benefits of agricultural production and the generation of renewable electricity. Our specially-designed solar panels play an important role in protecting crops against extreme weather conditions, while preventing excessive water evaporation from plants and soil.

BayWa r.e. brings its 30+ years of experience in the world of renewable energy to combine agriculture and energy generation in a unique way. We want to play a role in addressing climate change, and bring our decades of knowledge to create innovative, sustainable solutions – as evidenced by our floating photovoltaic systems. These are proof of our pioneering approach and ability to create dual land-based solutions.

Our Agri-PV systems further demonstrate our ability to innovate and rethink energy.

A well-established company with a strong financial pedigree, BayWa r.e. offers a comprehensive range of quality services. You cand trust us to be a reliable and competent partner for your project, from planning and design through to operation. We can also handle the long-term operation and management of your project if you wish.
 

We know how important it is to maintain crop profit margins. Break-even analysis is carried out for the crops as part of our planning and design strategy. For each project we want to ensure there is a positive impact on agricultural activity. We also want to make sure any yield reduction is offset in other ways – for example, with solar panels providing protection against unfavorable weather conditions (hail, excessive sunlight).

We make sure any design and installation makes it possible for the land to be accessed and used in the same way as it was previously.

We take the requirements of each crop carefully into account - light intensity, shade level, uniformity, as well as peripheral effects are all taken into account and factored into the final design needs of agricultural production. We adapt the transparency of the panels we use to each individual crop.

The way our transparent solar panels are designed makes them ideal for above ground planting such as berries such as raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries, as well as stone fruit. The substructure can also be designed to make it suitable for growing in the open ground.

We ensure that rainwater is distributed evenly to the crops below the Agri-PV system. This process can be further improved with additional technical equipment. We will always ensure the system is adapted to reflect a crop’s water requirements.

If required, our Agri-PV system allows for the installation of a drip irrigation system and / or rainwater recovery system to preserve water resources.

Note that areas are not always completely covered by the solar panels.

We know how important this is and our designs take this into account. For example, we’ll ensure we don’t exceed certain widths for panel row distances. And we’ll suggest ways in which collection basins or draining equipment can be used for rainwater capture. Icicle formation in winter by applying rainwater distribution systems.

Removing an Agri-PV system is straightforward, allowing the land to be easily restored to its original state, and kept in agricultural use. We ensure that when installing or dismantling systems that the soil is not adversely affected by compaction. We achieve this by using special machines and tyres, and/or removable rails. We also install sytems during the off-season to reduce any adverse impact.

We employ a range of construction methods to allow for quick and durable fixing in the ground or on soft soil. We create solid foundations that take into account all specific site factors, including static balance and stability. In each case, the foundations are always built in such a way that the system can be completely and easily removed.

There are various construction methods that allow both temporary and permanent fixture in soil or soft ground. These secure foundations take into account all of the important aspects of static equilibrium and stability. Foundations for agrivoltaic systems are always built to be fully removable.

Rather than a brand new technology, Agri-PV is simply a different way of using existing and proven technology. We’ve developed a system based on the solid engineering experience of BayWa r.e., which has installed more than 2.6 GWp of PV capacity to date. 

BayWa r.e.’s operation and maintenance team looks after each installation, which guarantees you of peak performance throughout the project’s lifetime.
Our expert approach and attention to detail mean that yield, risk, and administrative costs of our Agri-PV systems are comparable to those of an investment in our ground-mounted photovoltaic systems.

As is the case with our ground-mounted photovoltaic systems, our Agri-PV systems have a lifespan of 30+ years.

Our experts at BayWa r.e. are responsible for operation and maintenance of each installation. With extensive experience in wind and solar generation projects, you’re in safe hands with our operations and management team, backed up by our sophisticated 24-hour monitoring system.

Our Agri-PV systems don’t emit any noise, nor do they reflect light. This means the likelihood of any glare for local residents is very low. Agri-PV is very quick to install, keeping any initial disruption to a minimum.

There is already more than 14 GWp of Agri-PV installed around the world, the majority in Asia, particularly in Japan, where more than 3000 systems have been installed. (source: Agrivoltaics: Opportunities for Agriculture and Energy Transition (agri-pv.org))

Currently, Agri-PV is more expensive than ground-mounted PV systems. This is because they are designed to favour and optimise agricultural production, which can sometimes be at the expense of PV production. However, as the technology continues to evolve, these costs will fall. It is worth remembering that Agri-PV systems allow the use of land to produce both food and electricity at the same time.