How solar panels are giving a new meaning to green energy in sunny Spain
Regular reader Luis Martín has sent me a couple of photos and some articles from local media (links in Spanish) related to an agrivoltaic installation at the San Gabriel winery aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on its vineyards in Spain’s central Ribera del Duero wine producing region,.
The worsening climate emergency is leading to early ripening of San Gabriel’s grapes, exposing them to frost and extreme phenomena such as hail, which delays phenolic ripening and an increase in the level of sugars (and therefore in the alcohol content), and thus reduced acidity in the wine.
The installation of mobile photovoltaic panels at a height of 4.5 meters above the vines generates a canopy that casts shade, creating a microclimate that reduces temperature and evapotranspiration. The panels can be moved by a series of sensors that measure incident radiation, while others evaluate the state of the plant and its environment: temperature, atmospheric humidity and moisture in the subsoil at different depths.
The data from these sensors feed an algorithm that determines the position of the panels according to different weathger conditions, either to cover the surface of the vineyard as much as possible, to generate heat with surplus electricity in case of frost, to keep…
