The Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) has launched an experimental vertical photovoltaic installation in Santa Lucía de Tirajana with 60 bifacial panels, an investment of €97,613, and an estimated annual production of 42,900 kWh.
The Government of the Canary Islands has activated a pilot project in Santa Lucía de Tirajana that combines agricultural research and solar energy. This is a vertical photovoltaic installation with 60 bifacial modules, capable of capturing light from both sides, located on the "La Estación" farm of the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA).
The initiative, funded by Next Generation European funds, has involved an investment of €97,613.83. Its aim is to analyse the energy and agronomic behaviour of these systems under the real climatic conditions of the archipelago, as explained by the councillors for Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano H. Zapata, and for Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, during a visit to the facilities.
Zapata highlighted that "sustainable transition also involves research and exploring different solutions that allow us to use the land while respecting the environment of our islands, improving efficiency and advancing energy sovereignty." Quintero emphasised that "the collaboration between agricultural innovation and energy transition is essential to provide useful tools to our farmers and strengthen the competitiveness of the primary sector in the islands."
The panels are mounted on vertical structures arranged in rows, which, according to the ICIA, protects against wind and allows for more energy generation than conventional systems. The total installed power is 25 kWp, with an estimated annual production of 42,900 kWh, sufficient to supply electricity to several research projects on the farm.
This experimental project is part of the ICIA's research lines in sustainability and energy efficiency. The centre's technicians will monitor the performance of the panels in real time and their interaction with crops, assessing the feasibility of extending this technology to other agricultural operations in the Canary Islands.
The installation is designed for isolated self-consumption, meaning the energy generated is consumed directly on the farm, without connection to the electrical grid. This allows the ICIA to reduce its energy bill while testing a model that could be replicated in rural areas where grid connection is costly or complex.
Both councillors agreed that this type of project strengthens the collaboration between energy transition and agricultural innovation, promoting sustainable technological solutions that modernise the primary sector and move towards a cleaner and more efficient energy model for the archipelago.
For farmers in the region, this initiative represents an opportunity to learn first-hand about a technology that could reduce their energy costs and improve the competitiveness of their operations. The ICIA plans to organise open days and workshops to transfer the generated knowledge.
The project is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union, and its initial duration is two years, during which data will be collected to assess its technical and economic viability.
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