The Languedoc in south-eastern France is one of the largest wine-growing regions in Europe. Grapes are grown here on almost 300,000 hectares. The tradition goes back a long way. After all, the conditions are perfect: lots of sun and a hilly terrain. Only water is lacking, especially in the summer months. When it rains, it rains hard. This is not easy for the winegrowers, but wine – apart from olives - is almost the only way to make use of the soil.
Pierre Michaùd's family business also has a long tradition. Like his father, he grows and cultivates the precious grapes in the eastern part of the Languedoc. But with the change of generations comes a new spirit in the winegrowing business. Pierre Michaùd wants to run the farm more in harmony with nature, a path that has set a precedent in the Languedoc since the region got rid of its image as a cheap wine producer of the 1970s.
20 solar modules installed
The conversion of the farm also includes diversification. Pierre Michaùd is expanding his agriculture to include cattle farming. To this end, he has built a barn on the mountainous part of his land, mainly from natural materials. It is covered with a trapezoidal sheet metal roof.
EU Farming Strategy emphasizes the role of solar
Until now, the lack of water was a hurdle to adding cattle farming to the farm. But the farmer and winegrower found a solution together with the planner of solar and storage systems Perma Batteries. The roof of the barn is covered with a trapezoidal sheet metal. The Perma Batteries fitters mounted 20 solar modules on it. Actually, there would have been room for even more solar power on the roof. But all the solar power has to be consumed on site.
Solar power for the water pump
Because there is no electricity connection on the mountain to operate a pump to bring water from the farm's own well to the surface – this was also a hurdle to the establishment of a cattle farm on Pierre Michaùd's land. The farmer has also toyed with the idea of connecting the planned and ultimately built barn to the electricity grid. He also had it checked whether this would be possible, but the costs prevented him from doing so. A power line up the mountain would have cost a hefty 100,000 euros, which he would have had to pay out of his own pocket. In addition, extensive clearing work would have been necessary to lay the line on the steep terrain.
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Diesel out of the question
So the barn and the water pump had to be operated completely self-sufficiently from the power grid. A diesel generator was out of the question for Michaùd. Apart from the costs, this was not in line with the goal of running the cattle farm organically. After all, the diesel generator burns fossil fuels and thus further heats up the climate. The high maintenance and fuel costs coupled with poor efficiency were also decisive exclusion criteria.
What solution Pierre Michaùd found, you can read in the special on PV in agriculture. You can download the special here free of charge after registration. In this edition you find more solutions to power your farm with energy from the sun. (su)
