This German farm uses solar panels to grow fruit
STORY: These apples are growing with the help of solar panels
while producing green energy at the same time
Location: Gelsdorf, Germany
They're part of a pilot project that looks into
how solar panels can protect crops from bad weather
The panels are constructed to allow enough sunlight through
so that the apples can grow and ripen
It allows the space to be used for both
the production of electricity and agriculture
[Christian Nachtwey, Organic fruit farmer]
"Agri-photovoltaics offers the chance that, if the whole thing is built and installed for the benefit of the crop, we can achieve crop protection and cultivate a space that can be used for years, if not decades. And the crop will remain protected. If this works well, I can see interesting possibilities here for the challenges we face. It means food production and the production of electricity on the same land. And above all, it means the use of electricity for automation processes, which may be possible in the future and would benefit cultivation."
