An apple orchard near Wenatchee will be a test site for a project using solar panels to keep apple trees from getting too much summer sun and generating power for orchard operations.
A one-acre dynamic agrivoltaic demonstration system will generate 610 kilowatts of electricity and provide some cooling shade for the apples groqing beneath the structure.
The Washington State University Institute for Northwest Energy Futures is designing the test with a $2.4 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.
According to WSU Insider website, the installation will be at the WSU Sunrise Research Orchard southeast of Wenatchee, WA along Highway 28 near Rock Island Dam. The project is in partnership with Sun’Agri, a European company that constructs solar panel systems and the software that controls them.
Illustration of how panels will provide shading to reduce sunburn risks while also generating solar power for agriculture…
