Cyprus an Agri-Photovoltaic innovator

NICOSIA, Cyprus - July 9, 2024 - PRLog -- The replacement of conventional energy sources such as oil and gas by renewable ones such as photovoltaics (PV) promises to bring inexpensive, abundant, and clean, non-polluting energy to society. With limited energy resources but plenty of sun, Cyprus is rapidly deploying PV parks that produce energy for the grid. However, suitable land is becoming scarce and expensive, while the convert of farmland to PV parks is no longer desirable (or allowed). Finding ways to use the land for energy while preserving and even enhancing the ability of the land for food production is ideal. That was the motivation for the project, FarmPV, "stone Fruits And berries thRiving in agronoMy powered by photovoltaics (PV)" which officially commenced on 2/5/2024 and with a duration of two years.
FarmPV will explore agro photovoltaics (agroPV) technologies towards enhanced production volumes of added-value commodities such as raspberry and sweet cherry fruits (RCF) to meet the local demand for Cyprus in a sustainable, economical, and scalable way. Currently berries and stone fruits are produced in Cyprus with limited season availability and only locally distributed. For this project, fresh fruits will be produced in a controlled open field under the canopy of specially designed photovoltaic (PV) systems and netting systems. State-of-the-art technologies will be developed, namely: i) transparent photovoltaics with specialty film on it for controlling transparency and the climate for the RCF, ii) innovative and affordable mounting for the PV designed for this application, (iii) innovative netting system that protects the fruits from insects and shapes the quality and quantity of light that is used for photosynthesis,  (iv) Quality control methods for the RCF and (v) an autonomous energy management and maintenance PV system that provides in a single interface the performance of the PV, the transparency control and maintenance. By the completion of the project a first of its kind for Cyprus agroPV pilot plot will be implemented integrating the proposed PV and farming technologies demonstrating the value of the proposed concept. With a scalable design and adaptable technology, our project could be implemented across diverse agricultural landscapes in Cyprus and beyond.  By sharing our expertise and best practices, we aim to inspire similar initiatives and accelerate the adoption of agroPV.
iQ3Solar LTD (Coordinator) is a startup funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus. It aims to commercialize optimized PV park performance and field operations and is leading this focused consortium from academia and industry with expertise in PVs and fruit production.
The project CODEVELOP-AG-SH-HE/0823/0118 is funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU instrument, through the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus.