By constructing the roof with solar modules instead of glass green power can be generated as well as improving the light and temperature conditions for plants, without the need for additional shading systems, the company says.
“While many modules show a significant deterioration in performance in warmer regions, such as southern Europe, ITS modules are able to generate impressive energy yields even in these conditions,” reports Dr. Thomas Hillig, Vice President Module Sales & Marketing at Innotech Solar.
“As an example, thanks to the excellent temperature coefficient, a solar system in Sicily with an output of 500 kWp fitted with 240Wp EcoPlus modules generates around 14 MWh more electricity a year than a system installed with modules having only an average temperature coefficient. In even warmer regions, this additional yield increases accordingly.”
In one such installation Innotech Solar supplied the modules for a large-scale solar system mounted on greenhouses near Granada, Spain. The south-facing roof surface area was fitted with solar modules, leaving the north-facing side of the roof to let in the light required for the plants in the greenhouse. The system was connected to the grid last year and generates around 6 MWh of power annually, which is the equivalent power required for around 2,500 homes.
“The power produced can, of course, also be used to operate the technology used in the greenhouse directly, such as the irrigation pumps and ventilation systems that often run during the day,” Hillig explains. “Depending on how high the electricity price is in comparison with the feed-in tariff in the country in which the system is installed, on-site consumption may be beneficial to the system owner."
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