Project description
A dual-use approach for energy and food production
Photovoltaics (PV) has emerged as a preferable renewable energy source. However, PV parks are installed on land areas, restricting the available land for crop farming. The EU-funded HyPErFarm project proposes the use of combined agrivoltaic systems that allow food production to continue on land used by PV parks. By engaging several stakeholders, the project aims to optimise viable agrivoltaic business models and test the marketability of the solution. It will work on new innovative technologies and crop production methods, organise stakeholder innovation workshops and encourage citizen/consumer acceptance. Moreover, HyPErFarm will develop and demonstrate new systems for the use and distribution of energy produced on the farm through e-robots, heat pumps, hydrogen production and e-driven pyrolysis of biomass side streams.
Objective
The sustainable development goals of the UN and climate targets of the EU require that all economic sectors sharply reduce fossil-based use. However, the agricultural sector has the potential to not only greatly defossilize, but even produce energy – and that not to the detriment of, but alongside with food production. Photovoltaic (PV) has become dramatically more competitive relative to other renewable energy sources, and is now as competitive as wind power. Currently, PV-parks are installed on large land areas, leading to loss of land for cultivating crops. The ideal solution is provided by combined agro-voltaic systems with dual land use for crop production and simultaneous power production. HyPErFarm joins multiple types of actors with the objective to optimize viable agrivoltaic business models as well as test the marketability of the products, via inclusion of new innovative PV technologies (PV H2-production, bifacial PV-panels), radically new crop production systems, stakeholder innovation workshops, and citizen-consumer acceptance, public perception analysis and farmer adoption studies. HyPErFarm also develops and demonstrates new ways of utilizing and distributing the energy produced on-farm via heat pumps, e-robots, hydrogen production, storage and use, and e-driven pyrolysis of biomass side-streams that captures carbon while also improving soil quality. The project’s impact is that agrivoltaic systems are moved upwards to TRL7-8, and attractive new business models are accessible for farmers. HyPErFarm thus supports a game-changing radical innovation and contributes to the building of a low fossil-carbon, climate-resilient future EU farming that can also supply local communities with power and hydrogen. HyPErFarm partners have the ability to adopt and further develop the new farming practices, to provide the new technologies required, and to adopt new APV-business models that will allow continued food production on land used for power production.
Fields of science
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydrogen energy
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyphotovoltaic
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1. - Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.2. - Providing ecosystems services and public goods
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
3000 Leuven
Belgium