Akbudak N., TEOMAN DURAN S. (Yürütücü)
TÜBİTAK Uluslararası Çoklu İşbirliği Projesi , 2024 - 2026
COMGRAV
aims to prove with an innovative technology that it is possible to use solar
power generated in greenhouses at prices competitive with ground based
photovoltaic installations, thus allowing for broad deployment of Agrivoltaic
installations making dual use of land to generate power and grow food.
The
technology to be tested in COMGRAV has been developed by GreenTracker, one of
the consortium’s partners, and is based on the ability to ensure full
agricultural yields while generating electricity. The system is an innovative
responsive tracking system inside the greenhouse that allows the right amount
of light to reach plants for their optimum growth. It uses various sensors
deployed at various heights inside the greenhouse to feed data to a controller
that operates the motor of a photovoltaic single-axis tracking system, allowing
full control over the amount of light the plants receive according to their
Daily Light Integral (DLI) requirements.
The
technology will tested and optimized in two locations, Kufr Qara in Israel and
the Bursa Uludag University in Bursa, Turkey. The system will be deployed in glass greenhouses (typical for the regions) for two growing seasons, growing
locally suitable cultivars of tomato.
The
principal expected results of this project will a) detailed breakdown of
electrical and agricultural yields using this technology in different locations
b) datasets that will allow agricultural regulators to set standards for
deploying Agrivoltaics on a broad scale c) financial projections that will
demonstrate the commercial viability of the system for farmers.
The
principal impacts will be a) providing European and other countries with the
means to rapidly meet emission reduction targets b) saving huge tracts of land
from virtual “desertification” as a result of the deployment of ground based
photovoltaic arrays c) provide and important source of extra income for rural
communities.