Fruit and solar energy from the field

Vertical PV modules on a raspberry field (Image: Bioschmid) Photovoltaic modules above, raspberry bushes below: in future, agricultural land could be used for two purposes - to produce plants and electricity. The BFH-HAFL School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences and the Department of Engineering and Information Technology at Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH are forging ahead with agrivoltaics, which can help achieve the energy transition: they are founding the AgriSolar Forum. On a test field in Gelfingen in the canton of Lucerne, the sensitive raspberry bushes grow under translucent solar modules - well protected from heat and hail. A forward-looking solution with many winners, because: 'The combination of agriculture and electricity generation on the same area holds great potential,' says agroecologist Dominik Füglistaller from the BFH-HAFL School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences. According to the Energy Strategy 2050, photovoltaics in Switzerland is to be expanded from around 5 GW today to up to 50 GW in the future. So far, the focus has been on rooftops and facades. However, according to Dominik Füglistaller, in future photovoltaic systems could also be installed where fruit and vegetables are grown.