Voltalia has launched an agrivoltaic demonstrator in Poisy, Haute-Savoie, aimed at examining the interaction between solar infrastructure and cattle farming.
This project is part of the company's objective to increase the proportion of its solar power plants operating on co-used or repurposed land to 50% by 2027, up from 39% in 2023. Agrivoltaics, which combines agricultural activities with energy production, is seen as a key component in achieving this goal.
The Poisy demonstrator, which has a capacity of 250 kilowatts, covers an area of 7,820 m², with 1,152 m² occupied by solar panels. The installation will evaluate the effects of photovoltaic systems on cattle, focusing on aspects such as animal welfare, behavior, and forage quality.
The setup includes six rows of solar panels at varying heights to assess their impact on cattle access to shade and the surrounding microclimate, with a control area without panels for comparative analysis.
Sébastien Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of Voltalia, noted, “The commissioning of this demonstrator illustrates our commitment to innovate for a sustainable future that meets the needs of farms while contributing to the development of renewable energies. It's an excellent step in our more general approach to maximize the co-use of land, one of our objectives as a Mission-driven company.”
The demonstrator was developed in collaboration with various livestock sector institutes and the Centre d'Élevage “Lucien Biset” in Poisy, managed by the Chambers of Agriculture of Ain, Isère, Savoie, and Haute-Savoie, which provide expertise in dairy farming and support the project's research and monitoring efforts.
