Higher yields for vines that grow under photovoltaic panels

n the Pyrénées-Orientales area of Southern France, the owner of Domaine des Nidolères harvested much more fruit under Sun’Agri’s photovoltaic blinds this year. “Yields were 10% higher for Chardonnay, 25% for Marselan and 45% for Grenache blanc”, says Cécile Magherini, director of Sun’Agri, based on data from the chamber of agriculture.

By tilting the panels depending on the vines’ requirements in terms of sunshine and shade, the company also produced very good results in the Vaucluse area in the Rhone Valley, at the experimental estate in Piolenc, with yields for Grenache noir up by 40%.

At both sites, by delaying the start date for irrigation, agrivoltaics also generated water savings of between 30 and 60%. The shaded vines produced more acidic wines with an average difference of 1% ABV. “These findings demonstrate the progress in our technology, which is continually optimised through on-board artificial intelligence”, says a delighted Magherini. With climate change jeopardising many industries, she believes that agrivoltaics can enable farmers to protect their crops without having to invest significant amounts of money due to the solar energy produced. “It mustn’t be a necessary evil for environmental transition but rather serve the interests of farming”, she claims.

Alongside the Young Farmers’ association and other farming organisations, Sun’Agri is advocating for strict regulations of agrivoltaic usage. The company hopes that the bill due to put out shortly for public consultation will set a maximum coverage rate for farmland of 25% and will not permit any yield losses.