PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Extreme weather events threaten agriculture. Conventional crop protection such as plastic tunnels no longer suffice and may even aggravate the effects of climate change, causing crop losses from tunnel collapse and heat build-up. Effective and cost-efficient climate-adaptation measures are required that can be rapidly scaled up.
Certain Agri-PV technologies have proven to be an effective solution in small-scale pilots. This type of PV is allowed in five EU Member States, but in most EU countries the necessary legislation and standards are missing altogether. The dual use of land (agri and PV) should be simplified. Technical scale up, legal integration and rapid replication are also urgently needed, and there is still room for the improvement of technical details – e.g. compatibility with GPS guided farm vehicles.
LIFE ADAPT-PV demonstrates translucent photovoltaic panels built over crops. A robust, permanent steel structure and panels made of hardened glass withstand extreme weather, protect the crops from physical weather impacts and provide a more stable microclimate. At the same time, the solution produces power and is a viable investment in itself, either by the farmers themselves or by external financiers.
To accelerate replication, the Contract Commercial Organisation (CCO) BayWa r.e. has developed a financing model that attracts investment from the energy sector into agriculture.
ADAPT-PV provides several benefits:
- Crops are protected from extreme precipitation and storms.
- A more stable microclimate protects crops from extreme heat and frost, reduces pesticide use and improves working conditions.
- Farmers can use it without a major investment, enabling accelerated adaptation.
- Sustainable energy is produced generating revenues that render the investment profitable for investors.
- Dual land use (crop cultivation and energy generation) contributes to sustainable land use policies.
- Plastic waste and water demand in agricultural production is reduced.
The proof of concept of ADAPT-PV has been delivered in small pilots. Now it is necessary to take the next step and demonstrate the effectiveness of ADAPT-PV in three climate areas at business operation scale fruit holdings across Europe.
OBJECTIVES
The project will demonstrate that the ADAPT-PV technology creates a win-win situation: the combination of fruit cultivation and PV (dual land use)
- delivers equal fruit quality while it adds the benefits of harvesting renewable energy (PV);
- reduces crop damage and costs from extreme weather conditions;
- avoids the use of plastic shielding and corresponding high costs and large amounts of waste;
- and it yields economic profits on the agricultural side as well as on the energy investment side.
Although the primary topic is the adaptation to adverse effects of climate change, the aspects of climate mitigation (renewable energy production) and waste reduction are also considerable.
Furthermore, the project provides a method of shared financing through which farmers can chose their financial engagement in the transition to Agri-PV from zero to full investment.
An additional focus is on legislation and standards to enable dual land use for Agri-PV and to simplify its implementation in project's demonstration countries and regions, as well as other countries.RESULTS
The project will set up three demonstration sites with ADAPT-PV technology on 5.35 ha of fruit cultivation in three countries in three different climate regions (1.75 ha apple/ 1MWp in France; 1.9 ha almonds/ 1MWp in Spain; and 2.1 ha pear/ 1.8 MWp in the Netherlands).
The project will prove the viability of the technology for a) agriculture and b) energy.
Agricultural benefits (in the demonstration sites compared to nearby control sites):
- Stable microclimate: 5-7 °C cooler during heatwaves and 1.5-2 °C milder during frost periods.
- Maintained fruit quality (e.g. measured in sugar content and acidity level).
- Reduction of plastic waste by 300 kg/ha/a (8 t for 3 years).
Agro-economic benefit:
- €13,000 /ha/a compared to the control sites (lower crop losses and lower costs in plastic protection).
Renewable energy and climate benefits (across all demonstration sites):
- Economic benefit from renewable energy: €45,000/ha/a (gross revenue).
- €5.4 m investment in climate adaptation (average €12 m/ha).
- 4.07 GWh/a of renewable energy (average 760 MWh/ha/a).
- 2,000 tonnes CO2/a avoided from solar PV (average 370 tonnes/ha/a).
The CCO BayWa is a world leading company in several different agro PV technologies and aims for some 1,500 ha five years after the project (i.e. by 2032). As the concept will not be exclusive, other companies can take part, with the ultimate potential to adapt 8,700 ha in that period. The total area in the EU that can benefit from ADAPT-PV is ca. 66,000 ha.
