Solar panels provide shade and a second source of revenue for this enterprising German farm
Large-scale solar installations are becoming popular in agriculture - but getting the right mix of crop and solar is hard.
An apple farm in western Germany is reaping a second harvest - but it's not what you might expect.
Solar panels providing much-needed shade for the orchard have been producing bountiful electricity during this year's unusually hot summer.
“The idea is simple,” says Christian Nachtwey, owner of the organic farm in Gelsdorf - an hour's drive south of Cologne.
“To protect the orchard, without reducing the available growing surface and in particular maintaining production. On top of that there's the solar electricity being generated on the same land.”
Large-scale solar installations on arable land are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America. They allow farmers to make the most of their land and establish a second source of revenue.
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Getting the right mix of crop and solar is hard though, because modern fruit varieties are finely tuned to particular growing conditions. Any change can tip the balance, costing farmers revenue if their fruit is damaged, the wrong colour or not as sweet as consumers like.
That's why Nachtwey is collaborating with researchers to test which apple varieties thrive under the solar canopy, and which types of photovoltaic roofs are best suited for the orchard. To compare the results, some trees are covered with a conventional netting normally used to protect sensitive crops from hail.
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