German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, said Wednesday that it successfully tested three 13 kilowattpeak (kWp) agrophotovoltaics (APV) systems in Chile, and analyzed the possibility of installing APV at shrimp farms in Vietnam.
APV is a technology which combines the production of solar electricity and crops on the same land, and has already been successfully demonstrated in pilot projects in several European countries, according to a press release from the Freiburg-based institute.
The feasibility of agrophotovoltaics has been proven with a 194 kWp APV pilot system realized on a farm near Lake Constance in Germany, Fraunhofer recalled, adding the project results from last November showed that APV increased land-use efficiency by 60 percent.
Fraunhofer ISE, together with Fraunhofer Chile, tested the three 13 kWp APV systems in the Chilean communities of El Monte, Curacavi and Lampa.
'The Chilean APV pilot project ended in spring 2018 and was financially supported by the Santiago de Chile Metropolitan Region Government. In the project, investigations were carried out to determine which plants benefit from less radiation exposure, i.e. shading from the APV array,' the statement said.
Sensors measured meteorological data like solar radiation, humidity, soil moisture and ground temperature. The data was also used to optimize the on-site irrigation system.
According to the statement, the first APV system was installed on a farm using professional methods to grow broccoli and cauliflower. The solar electricity was used in the production process to clean, package and cool the produce.
The second one was installed on a family-run farm that grows herbs and other crops, and the third was set up in a remote region with a weak infrastructure with irregular electricity service.
The APV plant provided electricity for seven families, providing power to an incubator for hatching chicken eggs, among other things.
-First in Latin America
According to the statement, the three APV systems in Chile are the first of their kind in Latin America.
'The results of both the crop and solar power production are very positive. As a result, the APV research at Fraunhofer Chile shall be expanded thanks to the support of the local government,' it said.
According to Fraunhofer ISE, the projects show that the partial shading of crops planted underneath APV can reduce their need for water and also offer livestock shelter from the sun.
“Also, it is expected that various fruits which normally do not grow well in dry climates with high solar radiation would grow underneath an APV system. At the same time, the generated electricity can be used to operate water pumps or desalination systems,' it said.
The three pilot plants will be monitored for three additional years, and operated as on-field labs. A long-term plan involving different type of crops has been coordinated with the farmers, so it will be possible to test the concept with a large variety of products, the institute added.
-Solar-aquaculture clash in Vietnam
In Vietnam, Fraunhofer ISE carried out a proof-of-concept study analyzing the possibility of installing APV at shrimp farms located in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.
In this region, there is an increasing competition for land between aquaculture and renewable energy, according to the institute.
“The current project SHRIMPS “Solar-Aquaculture Habitats as Resource-Efficient and Integrated Multilayer Production Systems” has the potential to solve a series of systemic problems in Vietnam,' it said.
According to Fraunhofer, this would promote the deployment of renewable energy as well as enact measures to counteract climate change, expand shrimp production, yet protect water resources, decrease land use and reduce CO2 emissions at the same time.
Based on the first analyses, the pilot project in Bac Lieu can save about 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and reduce water use by 75 percent compared to a conventional shrimp farm, the statement underlined.
“By combining aquaculture and photovoltaics, the land-use rate increases by at least 65 percent compared to an open field PV plant,” said Max Trommsdorff from Fraunhofer ISE.
According to the statement, this project can contribute to reducing land-use conflicts in the densely-populated country while helping to meet the growing energy consumption (10 percent annually) with renewable energy sources.
It said the aquafarm operators enjoy other advantages too, such as protection against predatory animals, improved working conditions due to shading and a stable, lower water temperature that helps promote the shrimps’ growth.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.comm.tr