BayWa fusing solar power and agriculture in 5 countries with EU funding

All six projects are either first or significant steps forward for their respective markets. Working closely with EU representatives, landowners, and local communities, the German company BayWa r.e. aims to develop the commercial viability of Agri-PV and to demonstrate its benefits as an effective climate-adaptation strategy for fruit and crop cultivation in Europe.

Pioneering Agri-PV

BayWa r.e. has been instrumental in proving the benefits for using Agri-PV to supplement fruit farming at scale (fruitvoltaics). As part of EU LIFE ADAPT-PV, three of these new projects, in France, Spain, and the Netherlands, aim to increase fruitvoltaic projects’ resistance to climate change by providing a combination of crop protection and generation of green solar energy, within an innovative financing model.

Meanwhile, three more projects in Germany, Spain, and Italy will examine ways to scale up Agri-PV alongside arable crops like summer and winter wheat or soya. At a time when population growth and energy demands are rising, new insights into land use efficiency are urgently needed. In the EU LIFE LEAD-PV project, BayWa r.e. wants to demonstrate how Agri-PV can support farmers to reduce their CO₂ emissions in land use.

Project using almonds

These projects will provide insight by pushing the boundaries of Agri-PV. The Spanish project will be the country’s first ever using almonds. In Germany, this will be the first project researching Agri-PV and traditional crops at such a large scale.

Dr. Stephan Schindele, Head of Product Management Agri-PV at BayWa r.e. commented: “With these six projects, across five countries, we’re pushing innovative Agri-PV applications into the marketplace. Only if the farming, environment, and energy sectors work hand in hand, can we successfully adapt to climate change while also minimising carbon footprint in farming processes.”