Insolight launches a four year pilot project on Agroscope’s Conthey site

Insolight’s insolagrin agrivoltaic system incorporates THEIA (Translucency & High Efficiency in Agrivoltaics) solar modules offering a revolutionary combination of translucency and high electrical efficiency. These modules focus light on high-efficiency solar cells by combining two usage modes based on Insolight’s optical micro-tracking technology. When aligned, the optical system can generate energy (E-MODE), but it is also possible to disjoin it to ‘leak’ the light (MLT-MODE). Therefore, the solar modules act like a ‘smart’ shade adjusting the amount of light they let through. They enable the optimisation of plant photosynthesis over the seasons and help reduce the negative impact of hot summer temperatures on the yield and quality of agricultural products whilst recovering the remainder of the light in the form of electricity.

Ina new pilot project supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (OFEN), Insolight and its partners Romande Energie and Agroscope, will install these solar panels over strawberry and raspberry crops at Agroscope’s experimental centre in Conthey as replacements for protective polytunnels.

Starting July 2021, the project team aims to demonstrate that it is possible to efficiently combine agricultural production and electricity generation on the same site, using a dual-purpose agricultural and photovoltaic structure. The system will be tested for four years on a surface area of 165m2, designed to provide meaningful results allowing future large-scale deployments to be planned. The results will also be fundamental in assessing this system’s cost-efficiency and clarify its financial prospects.

“This agrivoltaic structure was created to replace and improve the protective and shading functions of the umbrella tunnels we use over strawberry and raspberry crops, without obstructing agricultural activity,” said Bastien Christ, Head of the ‘Berries and Medicinal Plants’ Research Group at Agroscope.

Insolight’s new-generation photovoltaic technology differs from conventional opaque rooftop solar panels and has the potential to become a vital agricultural tool for plants. “Dynamically adjusting the light transmitted to the plants paves the way for increased protection from climate variations and possible increases in crop yields, thanks to the matching of the light to the needs of the plants and the lowering of the temperature during heat waves via the shading effect” explained Christ.

(Press release/RAN)