By: Daniel Neumann - Associated Press
GELSDORF, Germany (AP) - It's harvest time at the Christian Nachtwey organic orchard in western Germany, and workers are loading trucks with ripe red Elster apples ready to be shipped to European stores.
But Nachtwey's farm is also harvesting a second crop. a few apple trees growing under solar panels are generating a lot of electricity in this year's exceptionally sunny summer, and the fruit below provides the necessary shade.
"The idea is simple," says Nachtwey, whose farm is in Gelsdorf, an hour's drive from Cologne. "Conserving orchards without reducing available space and above all maintaining production, also producing solar energy in the same area."
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Solar arrays on agricultural land are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America as farmers seek to make the most of their land and create a second source of income.
However, finding the right mix of plants and solar energy is difficult as modern fruit varieties adapt to their respective growing conditions. Any change can be a game-changer, costing farmers income if the fruit is damaged, the wrong color or not as sweet as the consumer.
Therefore, Nachtway is working with researchers to find out which apple varieties grow best under solar roofs and which types of PV roofs are best for herb gardens. To compare the results, some trees were covered with traditional netting, which is commonly used to protect cold-sensitive plants.
Juergen Zimmer, an expert at the Rhineland-Palatinate State Agricultural Service, said apples under the sun roof were less sweet this year than apples under cold nets. But, as he said, on July 24 of this year, apples suffered very little damage in the sun, on that day 18% of uncovered fruits were burnt.
"We need at least two to three years to see all the weather conditions that are likely to occur and study the performance and color of different tree species," Zimmer said.
The researchers hope that the experiments will show the fruits of the trees under the solar panels. This could help renewable energy production compete with agriculture for valuable land; That's a growing concern for those who want to deal with climate change and rising food prices.
Nachtwey says it can use the solar energy generated on the farm to power its plants and machinery. For now, though, it plans to feed dozens of homes in the area.
Frank Jordan in Berlin contributed to this report.
Follow all AP climate change stories at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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