REGACE Partners is a consortium of 12 organizations from 5 countries dedicated to developing cost-effective agrivoltaic technology. The consortium gathered recently at the greenhouses of Trisolar to kick off the REGACE project, which has been awarded €5.3 million by the European Union (EU) through the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.
Agrivoltaic is a relatively new field that combines food and electricity production by using photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity while providing shade and increasing CO2 levels for crops. The REGACE project takes this concept further by incorporating CO2 enrichment to increase greenhouse yields and improve electricity production.
The REGACE system provides affordable clean energy with optimum crop conditions and significant energy generation. In addition, CO2 enrichment will expand agrivoltaics usage to areas with less sunshine and low light conditions, making it possible to produce food and clean energy in previously considered unsuitable regions.
REGACE project coordinator Dr. Ibrahim Yehia and Dr. Esther Magadley of the Alzahrawi Society spoke about the project at the three-day kickoff meeting, highlighting the potential benefits of the technology for greenhouse owners. Each greenhouse owner can become a stakeholder by selling clean energy and creating new value chains and solar energy jobs in farm economy regions.
The REGACE system is a PV tracking system solution that transforms traditional food-growing areas into a part of the renewable circular energy economy. The technology is expected to provide significant economic and environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved energy security.
Firass Badahi, head of the local council Kafr Kara, welcomed the members of the REGACE project and expressed his commitment to supporting the R&D research center. This is a significant step forward in developing agrivoltaics, and REGACE Partners is excited to be leading the way in this promising field.
Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
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