Since November 2022, the energy park in Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria has been reliably supplying solar power. At the same time, the area continues to serve agricultural use. Researchers from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (Boku) in Vienna have taken over the scientific monitoring of the project. Now the first harvest after the installation of the solar plant has been harvested. Wheat and poppy were threshed on one of the subplots of the plant.
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Since the modules are mounted on a tracker system, agricultural cultivation of the area remains possible. This is because the tracker can be driven into harvest mode. In this mode, the modules are set at an angle of 70 degrees. This means that even large machines such as a combine harvester can drive through the rows unhindered. During the first harvest after commissioning of the system, not a single module was damaged, confirms the operator of the sun field EWS Consulting.
The quality is more than adequate
The first impression of the harvest shows: The quality is more than adequate. But in order to measure a very precise overview of the impact of the solar modules on agricultural yields, the harvest quantities are weighed for comparison purposes and compared to average yields per hectare of the same crops in the surrounding area.
More fruits await the harvest
But it is already clear that grain sorghum is thriving on the Boku's research plots. On the entire area, data and findings from the cultivation are scientifically recorded and documented according to various parameters. The results and findings from all the cultivation areas flow directly into further software optimisation at the Sonnenfeld.
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Now the sunflowers are in full bloom on another part of the 5.5-hectare sun field. Potatoes, maize and soya are still growing on another part of the field. The feedback from all project participants and farmers after the first harvest confirms this: The concept of multiple use works. Producing agricultural food and electricity at the same time on one field works. (su/mfo)
