Despite the difficulties in France, Next2Sun still sees growth opportunities in Europe, starting in Italy. This is what the German agrivoltaic supplier says pv magazine that it is also becoming more and more active in Japan.
Next2Sun is focusing on expanding into the Italian market for agrivoltaic systems, while also targeting Switzerland and Austria for its solar fencing solutions.
“Germany is the most important market for our agriPV products, followed by Austria. Italy is the growing market in Europe, thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and approved legislation,” said Jerome Lintz, head of sales for international markets. pv magazine. “We have also been active in Japan since last year.”
The company’s revenues mainly come from agricultural voltaic systems, which represent 80% of revenues, while solar fences contribute 20% of revenues. The dedicated research team analyzes and monitors crop yields and biodiversity, in collaboration with international universities and research centres.
“We analyze which crops in Europe are experiencing increasing drought,” says Henrik Herrmann, social media manager. “The investigation is still ongoing.”
The company has provided some figures, but estimating costs and levelized energy costs (LCOE) are challenging.
“Our costs per kilowatt peak would be more around €800, because it is a turnkey solution including transformer, installation, cabling, inverter, engineering. Our LCOE would be approximately €0.06/kWh,” said Lintz, adding that an accurate LCOE estimate would be difficult to define as it depends on regional subsidies, building codes and environmental conditions.
Next2Sun shows ad hoc modules for vertical installations, produced in China but covered by warranty. While Austria and Switzerland are established markets for its solar fences, Germany is the next target, with plans to introduce the fences there soon.
Lintz said about 90% of the company’s awning sales are in the residential market, with distribution handled through existing partners. The company is actively seeking new partnerships to further expand its market presence.
In France, Next2Sun works with a developer specialized in agrivoltaic energy, with a focus on projects in the Grand Est region. In 2020, the company also announced a partnership with TotalEnergies in this segment outside Alsace.
“We are waiting for the decree specifying agricultural voltaic technologies before scaling up in France,” Lintz said.
Although a decree on the development of agrivoltaic energy and its implementation was published on July 5, the list of “proven agrivoltaic technologies” has yet to be released by the ministers responsible for energy and agriculture.
If vertical solar systems are included in the framework, PV installations would no longer have to operate a witness area and would face agricultural production checks every five years, rather than at one or three-year intervals.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
