Photovoltaic tree climbing? ! Germany is playing a very new "agricultural and light complementarity"

The combination of lightweight Solar Panels and weather protection systems will open up new development space for agricultural photovoltaic technology. Researchers at Fraunhofer ISE are working on this.
Scientists at ISE (Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Systems) have developed special Photovoltaic Modules with Voen Vöhringer GmbH & Co. KG. These components are very lightweight and can be installed on traditional windproof systems for special crops such as fruit trees.
Partners are also experimenting with various solutions to install lightweight Photovoltaic Panels onto existing substructures and new climate protection systems. Last week, the project team also launched the first agricultural test system for lightweight photovoltaic panels on the cherry tree in Flinger Orchard.
In traditional agricultural and light complementary projects, the Photovoltaic System will be installed on huge special steel structures and must be installed between empty farmlands or trees or shrubs. The alternative concept, jointly developed by weather protection providers Voen and ISE, leverages existing protection mesh and protective films. Due to limited load-bearing capacity, the project consortium has developed a suitable light module concept with a weight of less than 5 kg per square meter and an installed power output of 420kW per hectare.
“The new concept solves two factors that make agricultural PV systems more expensive than ground-mounted PV systems. Building elevated and installing PV components is more expensive,” said Felix Basler, project manager at Fraunhof. In addition to developing low-cost lightweight components, we designed and tested a variety of solutions to easily install them on traditional climate protection systems in special crop cultivation. These results can now be seen at Obstbau Vöhringer, Berg, near Ravensburg. The demonstration system installed there covers two rows of cherry trees with a length of about 40 meters.

Lightweight solar modules for agricultural photovoltaics provide storage space for climate protection
“As a new or retrofit solution, the structure is very simple,” said Leo Vöhringer, project manager at Voen. “It is important for us to apply the concept of agricultural photovoltaics to orchard cultivation practices, not the other way around. In our concept, established protections for crops from weather and other destructive effects are still in effect.” When weather protection is not required during the year, it can be put away and placed under the solar module. The project team monitors the power generation of the system and the harvest of cherry trees throughout the year and analyzes the data by the end of 2025.
The research team also used specially developed software to simulate the optimal size of the photovoltaic module to ensure that the shading does not affect the yield of the cherry tree. In the southern part of Baden-Württemberg alone, more than 5,000 hectares of fruit trees are blocked under a mesh or film. Through the agricultural PV concept, the potential of these regions can be better utilized.
The Ministry of Economy, Labor and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg funded the research project "Voen e-crops - Flexible Solar Module for Climate Protection Systems in Special Crops Cultivation" through the Baden-Württemberg Investment Program.