Pioneering project: Greenhouse solar system utilises light twice
Eine auf Filtertechnologie basierte Solaranlage von Voltiris ist auf einem Gewächshaus der Meier Gemüse AG installiert worden. Die rund ein Hektar grosse Anlage ermöglicht die Stromerzeugung ohne Einbussen beim landwirtschaftlichen Ertrag.
The start-up Voltiris from Epalinges has installed its largest solar system to date on a greenhouse belonging to Meier Gemüse AG in Rütihof, according to a press release from the canton of Aargau. The solar system is based on a filter technology in which light waves used to generate electricity are filtered out and redirected to a solar panel, while the light required for photosynthesis can enter the greenhouse unhindered. In this way, plants can be grown without any loss of yield and renewable energy can be generated at the same time. The canton of Aargau subsidised the solar system with CHF 50,000.
The solar plant in Rütihof covers an area of around one hectare and generates around 234 kilowatts of electricity with around 1,730 solar panels. “As a Swiss startup, we are proud that the first and world’s largest plant with our spectral AGRI-PV system has gone into operation here in the canton of Aargau,” said Dominik Blaser, Chief Product Engineer and co-founder of Voltiris, in the press release.
Thanks to the filter technology, Voltiris’ photovoltaic modules can be used inside greenhouses without casting shadows, unlike conventional solar systems. The concave arrangement of the filter also concentrates the light, allowing it to hit the photovoltaic module with four times the intensity. In this way, a higher energy yield can be achieved than with conventional solar radiation.
The solar installation is also in line with the cantonal energy strategy, which aims to achieve the net-zero target by 2050 and strengthen security of supply.
“This plant is an example of how agriculture and energy production can be combined in a meaningful way,” Markus Dieth, member of the cantonal government and Director of Agriculture, is quoted as saying in the press release.