TotalEnergies and InVivo unveil the 1st agrivoltaic demonstrator in île de-France

TotalEnergies and InVivo today unveiled the first agrivoltaic demonstrator in the Île-de-France region, with a surface area of 5000m2 and a capacity of 111 kWp.

TotalEnergies and InVivo signed a partnership agreement in March 2020 to support the country's energy and agricultural transitions. Together, the two companies are developing an agri-energy approach that combines renewable energy production with regenerative and competitive agricultural production. For the past two years, Agrosolutions, a consulting firm of the InVivo Group, has been assisting TotalEnergies with some fifty projects in mainland France and the French overseas territories. The objective is to develop agrivoltaic projects that benefit both the agricultural world, with new crops protected by agrivoltaic installations, and the territories in search of low-carbon energy. This project was developed and constructed in consultation and in conjunction with all the territorial stakeholders.

A life-sized experiment on the positive impacts of an innovative agrivoltaic project.

The objective of this demonstrator is to study the impact of the presence of solar panels on agricultural production, but also on biodiversity, carbon storage and water quality. It also aims to study energy production to validate a new economic model. Agrosolutions is in the process of finalising the first tool to measure these joint economic and environmental benefits.

The technology used combines vertical structures, bifacial photovoltaic panels and optimisation of the ground surface to maximise the production of green electricity during peak periods of electricity consumption. This innovative technology also protects crops from wind or excessive exposure to the sun. The results of this experiment will be analyzed at harvest time.

“This demonstrator perfectly symbolises our approach to agrivoltaic projects! To be in the heart of the agricultural land to conduct experiments that will help our future solar projects. We are very happy to commission this demonstrator and even prouder of the partnership signed more than two years ago with our partner InVivo, who have helped us with this project. We are convinced that the synergies developed between green electricity production, biogas and agriculture are one of the answers to guarantee our energy independence and our food independence", says Thierry Muller, CEO of TotalEnergies Renouvelables France. “This demonstrator will make it possible to confirm the ability of converging the energy transition and the agricultural transition, without competing uses, for the benefit of all.”

“InVivo's mission is to support the transition of agriculture to a resilient agrosystem. Agriculture is a source of solutions in terms of food, ecology and energy. This demonstrator is proof that by federating all the players in the ecosystem, we are able to create positive externalities in relation to our mission. Thanks to this agronomic validation, we hope that many players in the world of agriculture will commit to agrivoltaics and thus contribute to the agri-energy transition", states Thierry Blandinières, CEO of InVivo.