French renewables company Q Energy France along with local startup Aquacosy, have officially inaugurated the country’s ‘very first’ hydrovoltaic prototype project with 9.3 kW solar PV capacity to power a hydroponics site with encouraging initial results.
The pilot project has been operational since August 2021 in Montauban, Tarn et Garonne region on an area of 250 m², where it is powering the hydroponics site – an above-the-ground horticultural system that involves growing plants without soil, using water-based mineral nutrient solutions.
In the 1st year of its operation, the team found higher agricultural yield and extension of production seasons, along with protection of the plants against the negative effects of wind and frost.
“This is an ideal tool for territories wishing to establish a local value chain for food and for energy while creating jobs in the agricultural sector,” said Solar Director of Q ENERGY France, Céline Spitzhorn.
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