Three technical solutions integrate power generation and agriculture; Plant makes use of recultivated land at Garzweiler opencast mine
With crops below and solar power above, RWE’s agrivoltaics (Agri-PV) plant in Germany has now
started supplying green electricity into the grid after a construction period of just five months.
The new demonstration plant was built on about seven hectares of recultivated land at the edge
of the Garzweiler opencast mine, in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the years ahead, important
application research will be carried out at this site to show how solar power generation and
agriculture can go hand in hand.
The first seedlings are to be planted in spring. The research activities, which are set to last at
least five years, will also start then. The project’s goal is to develop suitable cultivation methods
and value-adding operational concepts for Agri-PV systems. The Institute for Plant Sciences at
Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems are providing
scientific expertise for the project. The project is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
as part of the progres.nrw programme for climate protection and the energy transition.
Three technical solutions integrate power generation and agriculture
The demonstration plant has a peak capacity of 3.2 megawatts (approximately 2.5 MWac) and
consists of three technical Agri-PV concepts, which allow for both agricultural and horticultural
use of the land. In the first configuration, the solar modules are fixed and mounted vertically on
the supporting structure. In the second concept, the modules are mounted on a movable axis
which allows them to follow the course of the sun from east to west. This is designed to
maximise the yield of the photovoltaic system. Alfalfa, broad beans* and forage grass are to be
grown on these two areas during the first research year. In the following years, crops such as
cereals, sugar beet, potatoes and other vegetables are to be cultivated. Between the module
rows, there is enough space left for harvesting machines. In the third solution, the photovoltaic
modules are elevated on a substructure similar to a pergola. Under these modules, plants such
as raspberries are to be cultivated. Over the years, the interplay between plant growth and
photovoltaic technology will be monitored under a variety of seasonal weather conditions.
RWE RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With its investment and growth strategy Growing Green, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide
