An innovative solution to meet the challenges of climate change
Faced with the intensification of the effects of climate change and the increasing pressure on water resources, agrivoltaic solutions integrating dynamic shading and an automated irrigation system are in the experimental phase. Several actors in the agricultural sector, such as cooperatives, the Chambers of Agriculture, the Chambers of Agriculture, the Institute of Livestock and INRAe, participate in the tests carried out on the pilot sites of TSE, a recognized company in the field of agrivoltaics. According to Françoise Crété, President of the Somme Chamber of Agriculture, which is piloting an agricultural canopy project in Brouchy, these solutions could “add value to territories located in intermediate areas”.
For field crops, TSE has already installed three agricultural canopies. These photovoltaic panels, mounted more than five meters from the ground on trackers, create dynamic shading that reduces the need for water for plants.
Promising results on Amance's canopy
The first feedback on Amance's Canopy, established in Haute-Saône in 2022, are quite promising. “During the hot days of summer 2022, we observed a decrease in maximum temperatures under the canopy of around 4°C during the filling phase, which is significant,” explains Rodéric Longupée, R&D Project Manager in field crop agronomy. He points out that, during the grain filling phase, heat stress often leads to yield losses. Thanks to this reduction in temperature, soybeans grown under the canopy were able to remain in a situation of “moderate water stress” during the hottest periods of summer, while soybeans on the control plot experienced severe water stress. This difference was clearly visible, as observed by Sylvain Raison, a farmer from the Haute-Saône site, observed, who noted that the soybean leaves on the control plot were “really rolled up”.
A cooler temperature and less evaporoperspiration under the canopies
Mélodie Trolliet, Agroclimate R&D Engineer at TSE, validates these observations through the analysis and modeling of meteorological, climatological and agronomic data. By using forty agroclimatic sensors installed on each pilot site, TSE can finely model the microclimate created by agricultural canopies. The dynamic shading generated by the photovoltaic panels protects crops by reducing the temperature under the canopy and limiting evapotranspiration. Thus, periods of water deficit suffered by 57% at the Amance site during the soybean harvest in 2022. These results were confirmed in 2023 and 2024 at TSE's other pilot sites in Brouchy and Verdonnet, she said.
Up to 30% reduction in water consumption
In Brouchy, in the Somme region, Benoît Bougler, a farmer operating field crops on 400 hectares, has been experimenting since spring 2023 with an agrivoltaic canopy equipped with an integrated irrigation system, on 3 hectares of his plots. This device is fully automated and can be controlled remotely via an application. The pilot site, which will collect data for nine years, makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of this technology. In 2024, the farmer grew a third of maize, a third of soft wheat and a third of potatoes, with the aim of testing flageolet crops in 2025. TSE engineers estimate that this combination of agricultural canopy and smart irrigation could reduce water consumption by 20 to 30%. Agrivoltaics thus represents an adaptation solution to the challenges of climate change, while being part of a global agricultural strategy. Cultural practices and different varieties are also monitored by the partners involved in the research carried out at TSE pilot sites.
A new pilot agricultural canopy in Charente from 2025
Christian Daniau, farmer and President of the Charente Chamber of Agriculture, will launch an agrivoltaic canopy project with a second-generation integrated irrigation system in 2026, in partnership with TSE. This system, equipped with raised sprinklers and controlled remotely, will be installed on 3 hectares. Each year, different crops will be tested on this plot.
In line with its commitment to water management, TSE is also developing an integrated irrigation system for agricultural shade and temporary grassland solutions, in collaboration with an irrigation expert in the agricultural sector.
Agrivoltaics and water management: download the exclusive guide
