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Sign upFebruary 1, 2024
La ferme Etchélécu
Sames
La Ferme Etchélécu approached Insolight seeking a solution to protect their crops from climate extremes that had previously caused production losses. In 2023, Insolight constructed a 3,000 m² photovoltaic closed greenhouse with openings and an installed power capacity of 190 kWp, enabling the simultaneous production of strawberries and electricity. The electricity generated is used on the farm, with any surplus sold to EDF. The Etchélécu family is renowned for producing high-quality strawberries, which are directly supplied to local gastronomy restaurants. In addition to power generation, a rainwater collection system was installed. This setup extends the growing season by two months and has significantly improved working conditions compared to traditional plastic tunnels. The installation was completed in February 2024.
With an installed capacity of 190 kWc, the system is set to produce around 260 MWh of clean energy, enough to power approximately 50 households. These positive energy fruits, grown from 15,000 strawberry plants, represent a pioneering achievement, as they are the first of their kind intended for the gastronomy industry.
The combination of agriculture and photovoltaics (Agrivoltaics or APV) holds promise for enabling Europe's energy transition through dual land use. APV can be deployed at a lower cost than rooftop PV while improving agricultural yields and water use. However, current solutions rely on conventional opaque silicon panels, which is not optimal because they must be widely spaced to minimize the impact on agricultural yields. In fact, Insolagrin allows for PVA with no trade-off between electricity and agricultural production. Electricity is produced for approximately 250 households per hectare per year, while protecting the crops. The impact on the land area required for solar PV production is enormous, since the densification is 100%. This solution also decarbonizes agriculture, increases farmers' income and reduces water consumption.
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