Agri-PV is a relatively new application of photovoltaics with limited operational experience. It combines agriculture and solar energy on the same land, helping to mitigate land-use conflicts between food production and energy generation.

The APV-Monitor project aims to develop and test monitoring and optimization methods to improve the operation of agrivoltaic systems. The project is being carried out at the Agri-PV test site of the Jülich Research Center in Morschenich-Alt, where four different system layouts are being evaluated.

A key focus is the development of a prototype system consisting of a drone with a mobile docking station and beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight control. This system will autonomously capture image data covering both PV modules and agricultural areas. The data analysis will differentiate between these surfaces, assess PV panel contamination, and generate a 3D model of plant growth. In the second project year, measurement data will be collected using these new methods.

Additionally, the project includes a techno-economic assessment of Agri-PV operations, focusing on cleaning methods, maintenance strategies, and yield-enhancing measures such as the use of albedo-enhancing geofilms in collaboration with associated project partners.

The project consortium consists of Volateq GmbH (project lead), PVRADAR Labs GmbH and Forschungszentrum Jülich and is co-financed by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes NRW and the European Union.

Contacts IBG-2

Onno Muller