Agri-PV Verden (2025 - 2028)

The increasing expansion of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems is leading to increased competition for land between energy production and agriculture. Against this background, integrative utilization concepts are required that enable simultaneous agricultural production and renewable electricity generation.

Agri-photovoltaics with vertically installed modules represents such an approach, as it opens up an additional line of business for sustainable energy production and at the same time allows the area to continue to be farmed.

The aim of the pilot project in Verden is to demonstrate the practicality of this system concept under real conditions. To this end, seven rows of vertical photovoltaic modules will be installed on an organically farmed field. At the same time, agronomic, yield-related and nature conservation parameters will be recorded in order to analyze the effects on yields, soil and microclimate as well as biodiversity and ecological functions.

The results will be used for the scientific evaluation of agri-PV technology and are intended to create a data basis for future planning and implementation processes in the context of sustainable land use.

• Yield tests

The yield studies are carried out by the FÖL. The aim is to quantify the effects of vertically installed photovoltaic modules on the yield and production parameters of agricultural crops within a crop rotation, to identify particularly suitable or benefiting crops and to evaluate the practical manageability of the system.

Site-specific changes resulting from the module structure, in particular shading and microclimate effects, and their influence on growth and yield formation will be investigated. To this end, comparative analyses are carried out in the field strips between the modules and on a reference area. In addition, changes in irrigation requirements and water use efficiency are recorded and evaluated with the help of an integrated semi-circular irrigation system.

• Nature conservation studies

The nature conservation studies are carried out by the FÖL and serve to systematically record the ecological effects of vertically installed photovoltaic modules on the agricultural land. The vegetation strips below the rows of modules have the potential to increase the structural diversity of the landscape and thus promote biodiversity, while at the same time possible interactions with adjacent arable crops - for example through the spread of undesirable species - must be taken into account.

In order to record this, the vegetation strips below the modules are managed differently. Two vegetation variants are established for this purpose: a perennial clover-grass mixture and a site-adapted wildflower mixture. The ecological effects are recorded by means of standardized vegetation surveys along a distance gradient. In particular, species composition, species diversity, vegetation structure and the spread into adjacent field strips, including potential problem weeds, are analyzed.

• Technical investigations

The Fraunhofer Institute is providing scientific support for the technical aspects of the project. The investigations focus on the performance, operational reliability and service life of the vertical agrivoltaic system. The effects of agricultural influences on the module condition and the site-specific energy yield are analyzed in comparison to conventional ground-mounted systems.