Photo: Komşuköy
The company with the highest installed renewable energy capacity in Turkey is pioneering the agrivoltaic concept. Together with the Komşuköy agricultural cooperative, Enerjisa is testing a battery-backed mini solar power plant with panels mounted above a garden.
The first attempt in Turkey to use the same surface for growing vegetables and producing energy from the sun is underway in Istanbul, according to Enerjisa Üretim. Within the scope of its studies of different uses of renewable energy sources, the company is conducting an agrivoltaic pilot project.
It already has the ambition to apply the solution at the site of its Bandırma hybrid power plant on the shore of the Marmara Sea, with the same partner, and scale it further.
The utility already has the highest installed renewable energy capacity in the country. The Komşuköy agricultural cooperative hosts the study in Turkey’s biggest city.
Solar power panels are mounted on a support structure above a garden, with the idea to provide partial shading and protect vegetables from hail. The system will be used for growing spinach and cabbage, for instance, and perennial plants such as blueberries, Enerjisa and Komşuköy revealed.
The facility consists of a photovoltaic unit of 20 kWh and a 24 kWh battery. Initially, the electricity will be used for internal needs at Komşuköy, like lighting. In the second phase, the plan is to connect the mini hybrid system to the grid.
In other news, Enerjisa has just secured a USD 110 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for charging infrastructure for electricity vehicles and for network modernization for its electricity distribution business. It serves a quarter of Turkey’s population.
The utility will use part of the proceeds for the expansion of Enerjisa Customer Solutions. The firm is active in the distributed energy sector.
Esarj, one of Enerjisa’s subsidiaries, was one of the first EV charging companies in Turkey.
Be the first one to comment on this article.