Sun’Agri, a French agrivoltaic specialist, has shared the results of its 2024 harvests at two pilot agrivoltaic sites in southern France. The locations at Domaine de Nidolères in the Pyrénées Orientales tested three grape varieties.
The results showed that grape yields under solar panels were 20% to 60% higher than in areas without PV. The highest increase, 60%, was observed in Chardonnay grapes, followed by Marselan (30%) and Grenache blanc (20%).
In a second trial in the Vaucluse, in southeastern France, the yield increase remained more than 30%, with or without irrigation.
Sun’Agri attributed the gains to the agrivoltaic system’s ability to optimize microclimate, moderate temperatures, increase humidity and reduce irrigation needs by 20% to 70%.
It says it also helps protect against frost, preventing temperature drops of up to 2 degrees Celsius. As a result, plant survival rates improve, with mortality reduced by 25% to 50%.
In addition, the grapes grown under the panels produce wine with 1.5% less alcohol, preserving the acidity of white wines and enhancing the aroma profile.
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