France: Berry Companies Increasingly Adopt Photovoltaic Production

Over the past five years, the consumption of berries by the French has increased by 35%. However, due to the lack of local production, 87% of raspberries in France still need to be imported. Fruits Rouges & Co, a small and medium - sized enterprise, has been a pioneer in berry commercialization since 1990, and its goal is to triple its production share in France by 2028. To meet this challenge, the company has evaluated the potential of agrivoltaic technology. On January 15th, Photosol, Fruits Rouges & Co, and Insolight signed a cooperation agreement at the Sival exhibition in Angers. The purpose of the cooperation is to develop an innovative agrivoltaic demonstration project, "Campus Fruits Rouges". This project uses semi - transparent double - sided photovoltaic panels as an alternative to plastic greenhouses. "This device not only produces energy but also protects plants from adverse weather conditions while reducing water consumption.

The dynamic shading screen powered by Insolight's patented technology, Insol'insights, ensures optimal lighting conditions for berry growth while improving energy efficiency." The agrivoltaic demonstration project is located at Campus Fruits Rouges in Allemant, Aisne region, on the farm of producer and project manager Thomas Magnien. Raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry crops will be monitored for five years to evaluate the agronomic and economic benefits of this solution. Thanks to a 20 - year renewable energy power purchase agreement signed with Photosol, Fruits Rouges & Co uses the solar power generated in the Fruits Rouges campus to meet its fruit cooling and preservation needs.