Fraunhofer ISE

First International Conference on Agrophotovoltaics in August 2020

Agrophotovoltaics (APV) allows for the dual harvesting of crops and photovoltaic electricity on the same piece of land, providing sustainable solutions under consideration of soil protection and water conservation. The first international conference on APV systems AgriVoltaics2020 will take place in Perpignan, France from August 26-28, 2020 under the motto “Launching Agrivoltaics World Wide.” The conference is organized by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the PSE Conferences & Consulting GmbH in Freiburg.

Agrophotovoltaics combines agricultural production and electric energy generation by photovoltaics on the same piece of land. The pilot installation in Heggelbach near Lake Constance, Germany is shown here.
© Fraunhofer ISE
Agrophotovoltaics combines agricultural production and electric energy generation by photovoltaics on the same piece of land. The pilot installation in Heggelbach near Lake Constance, Germany is shown here.

The AgriVoltaics2020 will address different aspects of the technology, from research to applications. Specialists in the areas of plant science and agronomy, hydrology, solar energy as well as research on systemic issues or socio-economic studies will attend. The conference program offers presentations, chosen from a reviewing process, and invited high-level keynote talks. Supplementing the program are an exhibition, a conference dinner and a technical tour to installations, from test facilities to best practice.

“Dual harvesting is a business model which is attracting more and more farmers. As agricultural land becomes increasingly scarce, this technology shows enormous potential. Having reached an installed capacity of one gigawatt, the time is ripe to exchange first experiences and discuss innovative solutions,” says Dr. Harry Wirth, division director of Photovoltaic Modules and Power Plants at Fraunhofer ISE, explaining the intent of the upcoming conference.

Call for Papers

As of now, new research work and results can be submitted for the Agrivoltaics2020 conference. The content must be of high quality and offer a substantial contribution to furthering the knowledge on agrophotovoltaic systems and technologies. Contributions pertaining to the topics listed on the following website are welcome: http://www.agrivoltaics-conference.org/topics.html. Papers with sufficient scientific quality will appear in a conference proceedings published with the American Institute of Physics AIP after the conference. The deadline for abstract submissions is March 13, 2020. Please submit your abstract on the following website of the AgriVoltaics2020 conference: http://www.agrivoltaics-conference.org/author-center/abstract-submission.html.