Solar farm
Renewable energies continue to grow around the world, and among clean energy sources, photovoltaic solar power is getting a lot of attention. It now equips many homes in France, on the roof or on the ground, in the form of solar panels or tiles. Photovoltaic cells also equip agricultural sheds and factories and become transparent to integrate into glazing. From now on, entire fields of photovoltaic panels are emerging: these are solar farms. Here are the details of their operation, installation and all the financial elements of these major projects.
The term solar farm refers more precisely to a photovoltaic farm, that is to say an area of photovoltaic panels which produce electricity from solar energy. These panels, or solar modules, are each made up of several photovoltaic cells and can either be attached to a support whose inclination and orientation are constant or installed on a solar “tracker” whose aim is to follow the path of the sun to maximize production.
Photovoltaic panels produce electricity from solar energy. The term “solar panel” applies to all devices that exploit solar energy, without the need for electricity production. Solar panels therefore include:
To be considered for the installation of a ground-based photovoltaic farm, land must:
Be flat and clear
Be well exposed to ensure optimal performance. Indeed, the orientation and inclination of the solar panels play an important role in the quantity of electricity produced by these modules.
Have the possibility of being closed
Preferably measure several hectares
Easy access
Be located near the electricity distribution network
As mentioned at the start of the article, the most common solution for creating a solar farm is to install a photovoltaic plant on the ground.
However, not all terrain is compatible with the installation of a large number of photovoltaic modules.
It is therefore impossible to build a solar farm:
• on agricultural land used for food production;
• in a regional natural park.
It should be noted, however, that certain agricultural activities are perfectly compatible with the operation of a solar farm. This is for example the case of beekeeping and sheep breeding, and this second option also has the advantage of guaranteeing the maintenance of the land at lower costs and in a very ecological manner.
Certain crops are also compatible with the installation of solar panels (fruit trees, vines, wheat, lettuce, cucumbers, beans, and vegetables that do not require direct sunlight such as cabbages, radishes, chard, turnips, etc.).
Solar panels provide several benefits to crops, such as reducing plant transpiration, protection against excessive summer heat and in certain cases against spring frosts and hail. When an agricultural activity and a photovoltaic power plant operate the same land, we speak of an agrivoltaic project.
