SOLAR VINYARDS

Sun’Agri has installed a viticulture agrivoltaic system in the Vaucluse department of southeastern France in partnership with the local chamber of agriculture as part of the Sun’Agri 3 program supported by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe).
The plant was set up in the wine-growing area in Piolenc, in Hérault, as part of a program to test how agrivoltaics perform in specific crop cultures.
“Out of 1,000m² of vines planted with [the] black grenache [red wine grape], 600m² were covered by our dynamic agrivoltaic system,” the Sun’Agri spokesperson said. The 280 panels used have a generation capacity of 84 kW, were placed at a height of 4.2m and can be moved in real time using an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm the French agrivoltaic specialist has been developing for more than a decade.
The algorithm is said to be able to determine the ideal tilt of the panels according to the sunshine and water requirements of viticulture, growth model of the crop, soil quality and weather conditions. “Artificial intelligence is programmed to favor the growth of the plant,” said the Sun’Agri representative. “In the event of extreme climatic hazards – drought, heatwave, hail, frost, heavy rain etc – the AI ​​controls the panels to protect the crops.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *