New pilot plant combines solar power generation with agriculture
On 20 May 2026, an agrivoltaic pilot plant was inaugurated on the grounds of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Freiburg. In addition to generating scientific insights, it aims to spark interest in a key future topic in the energy sector. The project is being led by a group of researchers from the University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer ISE.
Agrivoltaics, or Agri-PV for short, combines agricultural production with the generation of solar power. Against a backdrop of limited land availability and the challenges posed by the energy transition, Agri-PV is regarded as a promising technology for the energy supply of the future. An interdisciplinary research group on the topic of Agri-PV was formed at the University of Freiburg in October 2025; it is being funded by the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) with €35,000 until December 2026. The FRIAS Agri-PV project group comprises representatives from the fields of biology, computer science, engineering, forestry and economics, and collaborates with researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Fraunhofer ISE).
The pilot plant was developed by the Centre for Renewable Energy (ZEE) at the University of Freiburg, whose director, Prof. Dr Moritz Diehl, is also a member of the FRIAS Agri-PV project group, and has now been completed as part of the funding phase. Initially, strawberries are to be grown in raised beds between the photovoltaic modules, whilst electricity is generated above them. Sensors will record factors such as light availability, air temperature, soil moisture and humidity, and compare these values with an unshaded reference area. “The pilot plant serves not only as a research tool, but also as an eye-catcher designed to make the topic tangible for students and visitors,” says Diehl. “The complete decarbonisation of our economy continues to require a significant expansion of PV installations, but we do not yet know exactly how this can be achieved in the most landscape-friendly way. My dream is that here in Freiburg, over the coming years, we will set up many different new agri-PV systems as demonstrators that combine aesthetics, ecology, grid-friendly electricity generation and agricultural use in various ways, to help society find acceptable pathways to sustainable energy production.”
“What makes this project group particularly valuable is that the University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer ISE are combining their expertise in a targeted manner. Fraunhofer ISE provides application-oriented research, PV module technologies and many years of experience in the field of agri-PV, whilst the University contributes fundamental research from various disciplines. Together, we can develop new technological solutions that explain plant growth processes more precisely and provide a better understanding of how Agri-PV fits into political and social frameworks,” said the spokesperson for the FRIAS Agri-PV project group, Prof. Dr. Tim Krieger, at the inauguration of an Agri-PV pilot plant on the grounds of the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Engineering on 20 May 2026.
FRIAS project group strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration
Through the ‘FRIAS Project Groups’ funding programme, FRIAS is strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Freiburg. The programme brings together researchers from different disciplines to develop forward-looking research ideas at a very early stage. It provides a space for experimental approaches and new perspectives that go beyond established research structures.
Link to original press release: https://uni-freiburg.de/en/new-pilot-plant-combines-solar-power-generation-with-agriculture/
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Moritz Diehl
Systems Control and Optimization Laboratory
Director Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK
E-Mail: moritz.diehl@imtek.uni-freiburg.de
Kerstin Steiger-Merx
Representative PR/Marketing
Faculty of Engineering
University of Freiburg
Tel.: 0761/203-8056
E-Mail: steiger-merx@tf.uni-freiburg.de