Solar-aviary projects come online in France

French renewables producer Unite has completed two solar-aviary projects selected by France's Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in recent tenders for innovative PV solutions.

From pv magazine France

French renewable energy producer Unite has commissioned two PV aviaries in Brinon-sur-Sauldre, a commune in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, and Sainte-Croix-en-Bresse, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

Both projects are part of a 200 MW solar-aviary project portfolio that the company is developing in France. The projects were selected by France's Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in the tenders for innovative PV solutions.

On the first site, 15,000 solar panels were installed on the operating site of Régis Clément, a game farmer for over 20 years. The 10 MW power plant will produce nearly 11 GWh of electricity each year.

The objective was to create a complete cover to prevent the penetration of migratory birds which could bring diseases. The hangar is partly covered by photovoltaic frames and the rest with conventional nets. The structures and solar module spacing for the 10-hectare deployment are customized to meet the specific requirements of breeder Régis Clément. The sun/shade ratio has also been optimized to improve animal comfort depending on the season.

On the second site, the new aviary was built on the site of the La Motte farm, run by Emmanuel Massot, a pheasant and partridge farmer.

The project replaced the old, dilapidated structures with 17 taller and more robust galvanized steel photovoltaic canopies. These improvements allow the farm – which produces up to 30,000 pheasants per year for hunting and reintroduction – to gain space, increase production capacity, and improve working comfort. Connection to a nearby high-voltage line, without the need for a remote substation, facilitated the rapid completion of this €6 million ($6.9 million) project, backed by a 30-year lease. The plant's annual output is estimated at 7.6 GWh.

Unite said the new aviaries in Sainte-Croix-en-Bresse and Brinon-sur-Sauldre are perfectly adapted to the birds' natural behaviors such as flying, scratching and pecking. The partial photovoltaic coverage reportedly allows the animals to benefit from shaded areas and to be better protected from climatic hazards and predators.

“Partridges tend to huddle together for protection when it rains,” said Sidy Daffe, photovoltaic project manager in charge of both projects. “They now have much more protected space available. As for pheasants, their plumage needs rain and sun: alternating panels and nets therefore suits them perfectly.”