First Stakeholders meeting in Palencia, Spain
On September 24th, 2024, the First Spanish Stakeholders Meeting within the framework of the EAGER project took place in Palencia, Spain. The event was organized by ITAGRA CT and the Palencia Provincial Council, both partners in the EAGER project, co-funded by the Interreg Europe Programme 2021-2027.
During this meeting, a member of the ITAGRA CT team presented a summary of the EAGER project to the public. The presentation began by introducing the project partners and highlighting the participation of 14 institutions from 7 European countries. Following that, the concept of agrophotovoltaics (APV) was explained, along with the reasons why this project presents a promising opportunity to address the conflicting interests between agriculture and photovoltaic plants on arable land. The presentation also covered the objectives of the EAGER project and its methodology, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder participation throughout the project’s 4-year duration.
Additionally, the most relevant aspects of the Regional Study on the Province of Palencia were presented. The study demonstrated that Palencia has great potential for developing APV systems due to its favorable natural conditions (such as solar irradiance, stable weather, and vast land area), its strong farming traditions, and its well-developed power grid infrastructure, among other factors.
The discussion also touched on the Policy Instrument, as the Palencia Provincial Council is currently working on the "Agenda Rural Palentina (ARP)," a local strategy aligned with the 2030 Agenda goals. This ARP includes green energy initiatives, where APV could play a role.
Furthermore, two Good Practices identified so far were presented. One is “Fungisolar,” an innovative project that involves growing mushrooms between the rows of photovoltaic panels at an electricity generation plant. The other is “CIFP San Gabriel,” Spain’s first agrivoltaic project, which involves installing solar panels on elevated structures above a vineyard to provide shade for the plants. Both examples were shared with the stakeholders to demonstrate that APV installations are feasible in the region.
Finally, the stakeholders shared their perspectives on APV. While recognizing the complexity of the subject, some stakeholders offered ideas on how this technology could be implemented in the region.