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Solutions are continually being explored to do without fossil fuels and decarbonize the economy. Farmers are encouraged to house solar panels on their farm. But the experience is not always happy.
In the countryside, on ever larger areas, solar panels are gradually eating away at the landscape. Installed on agricultural land, the activity is baptized by its promoters as beingagrivoltaism. In Charente, Marie-Pascale Montigaudfarmer at Bors-de-Montmoreau (Charente), accepted the installation of these panels on 33 hectares of its fields. According to her, the less fertile lands have finally found a use “qui could bring us more“, she says. She thus receives a rent of 2,500 euros per year and per hectare, i.e. an annual guaranteed sum of 38,000 euros.
One of the conditions is that the land must keep its agricultural vocation. However, some are disillusioned. Immanuel Timea farmer in Beauchastel (Drôme), was approached three years ago. A company built him a greenhouse of 25,000 m² of photovoltaic panels. Today, the facility is practically empty. He gave up producing raspberries, the panels cast too many shadows, the tool was not suitable and his yields were down by 50%. Manufacturers are now trying a new approach to make the panels useful for crops.
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