| Project Detail |
Responsive tracking system introduces new era in greenhouse agrivoltaics
The EU-funded REGACE project aims to deploy and test a highly innovative in-greenhouse agrivoltaic system in six locations in Europe and Israel. The system will use consortium partner TriSolar’s sophisticated greenhouse controllers to ensure that there will be no drop at all in greenhouse agricultural yields, thus fulfilling the double target of green energy and food security. The system to be tested will use CO2 enrichment to increase electrical yields, especially in areas with less abundant sunshine. REGACE will make dual use not only of land but also of greenhouse infrastructure, thus achieving both a lower cost per installed kilowatt than ground-based PV systems and a far lower carbon footprint than any PV system.
REGACE will develop and validate a disruptive radical innovative technology that will make Agrivoltaics a major contributor to the EU clean energy portfolio. The technology is highly competitive compared to other solutions, because it fully addresses the desired destination impact of clear affordable energy with a projected installed cost for customer of €600 per kilowatt compared to €880 for ground based Photovoltaic fields. Furthermore, the system demonstrated in this project is also cost effective in areas with less sunshine, which currently are outside areas for which Agrivoltaics could be considered. The core technology is a responsive tracking system mounted in the greenhouse driven by a PLC controller that changes the angle of the tracking system according to the plants’ needs. We will test a system using CO2 enrichment as a means to increase electricity production in low light conditions by increasing the angle of incidence of the bifacial panels in the tracking system. The tracking system is hung with a few screws from the supports of the greenhouse, removing the need for wind-proof supports, reducing the price per installed kilowatt. Thus, this technology allows not only for the dual use of land, but also for the dual use of infrastructure. The design of the technology also leads to reduced construction and maintenance costs, duration of execution, and moreover through reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition to the economic impact, this will also lead to significant positive effect on ecological-environmental sustainability and reduced ecological foot-print through its life-span maintenance and operation. It will also lead to the diversification of the energy producing market with small holding greenhouse owners playing a significant part in the market. The technology will be tested in operational industrial environments in six locations with different greenhouse types and crops. |
