Vertical PV comes to India – SPE

By pv magazine India

Yashika Energy Systems has partnered with Next2Sun Germany and Wattkraft India to introduce Next2Sun’s vertical solar technology in India. They signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the partnership at Re-Invest 2024, recently held in Gujarat, India.

Next2Sun’s vertical installation of bifacial solar panels has made it possible to continue farming on the same land while generating high solar energy output, transforming India’s agricultural economy and promoting energy independence and climate action.

“This partnership aims to address growing land use concerns in conventional solar installations, which often displace valuable agricultural land,” said Yash Kishorkumar Gupta of Yashika Energy Systems. “By implementing Next2Sun’s innovative vertical bifacial Agri-PV systems, we will enable dual land use – allowing farmers to continue their agricultural activities while generating renewable energy.”

Gupta added that with the support of governments and farmer associations in both India and Germany, they want to launch pilot projects across India, with plans to scale up the technology for nationwide adoption. The pilot projects will range from 100 kWp to 500 kWp and will demonstrate the effectiveness of vertical bifacial solar technology in various regions in India.

Next2Sun’s vertical bifacial solar technology allows the installation of solar panels in a vertical orientation, generating energy from both sides while farmers retain the ability to grow crops underneath.

“With the support of both governments and the farming community, we are confident that these projects will set a new benchmark for sustainable development in India. We believe this will inspire others to adopt similar solutions and transform the way we think about land use and energy production,” said Sascha Krause-Tünker, Next2Sun CFO.