Photovoltaic power plant in Chadeleuf

At Chadeleuf, in the southern part of the Limagne region, a photovoltaic power plant suspended above agricultural land has provided its first agricultural results. The installation, the first of its kind in the Puy-de-Dôme department, covers a 5,000 square meter plot with solar canopies aligned on the site.

Solar canopies adapt to environmental conditions

The panels are equipped with 55 sensors that adapt in real time to wind, rain, and soil humidity. Piloted by the company TSE, the solar tracker system follows the sun's path to produce electricity throughout the day and especially to meet agricultural production needs. The installation can be completely uprighted to allow agricultural machinery to pass.

Agricultural impact is being studied

Since its commissioning, the company, with the assistance of the Puy-de-Dôme Agricultural Chamber, has been monitoring and analyzing its agricultural impact. The plot under the panels is compared to an 8,000 square meter control area located nearby to measure the effects of shading on the crop cycle and agricultural yields. The protocol is intended to last nine years.

Initial results show minimal yield loss

Initial feedback, recorded this summer, indicates that the area under canopies shows a maximum yield loss of 9.9 % compared to the control area. In a "robust control" setup, which allows more light to pass, the difference drops to 4 %. The plot thus achieved 96 % of the yield of the control area. The quality of the harvest is even improved, with evapotranspiration decreasing by 20 % over the entire season.

Microclimate under the panels is monitored

About fifty sensors continuously monitor the microclimate created under the panels. In winter, the cold is mitigated; in summer it is the heat. Frédéric Imbert, director of agricultural R&D at TSE, summarizes the findings by stating, "Everything is a matter of managing light according to the periods."

Electricity is generated and used locally

After the barley harvest this summer, the farmer sowed rape under the canopies. The electricity produced in Chadeleuf is injected into the electrical grid, with TSE paying rent to the farmer for the use of his plot. On another experimental site in Normandy, the electricity is instead consumed locally by the municipalities.

Future plans include larger commercial projects

The experiment will continue for nine years, according to the agricultural campaigns; the crop rotation allows evaluating several species over different meteorological years. TSE is currently installing two other facilities, mainly on grassland, and plans further projects starting next year, including "sites of larger size, this time with commercial purposes, not necessarily with farmers," according to Frédéric Imbert. As the projects progress, technical, economic, and agricultural knowledge will continue to refine further.