Installation agrivoltaïque

Abstract

The present invention relates to an agrivoltaic installation comprising: a supporting structure with a plurality of pillars (5, 6; 7, 8); an upper frame fitted with photovoltaic panels (10) alternating with transparent areas (20), held at a distance from the ground by said supporting structure. It is characterized in that it further comprises a net surrounding said supporting structure with peripheral sections (1, 3) and an upper portion (3) extending under at least a part of said upper frame. Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Agrivoltaic installation Scope of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of agrivoltaics, and more particularly to agrivoltaic shade structures placed over agricultural land that improve the agro-climatic conditions of crops while producing green energy. These structures help mitigate the effects of adverse weather conditions thanks to inclined and often rotating solar panels installed above the agricultural land, and guarantee a long-term income for the owner and operator.

[0002] These installations generally take the form of greenhouses, part of whose roof is replaced by photovoltaic panels, with varied architectures and solar panel arrangements, reflecting a balance between agricultural production and electricity generation. Some photovoltaic greenhouses feature an architecture designed to diffuse light in order to reduce the contrasts between the bands of light and the bands of shadow created by the solar panels. State of the art

[0003] French patent FR3057734B1 describes a photovoltaic greenhouse, comprising a structure supporting a roof having a transparent section without photovoltaic panels, the remainder of said roof being fitted with photovoltaic panels. Said roof has a south-facing slope inclined at an angle between 15 and 25 degrees, and the south facade of the greenhouse has a height h measured at the level of the south edge of the first series of panels, such that the ratio h / 1 is between 0.8 and 1.2 times tangent S, where: - 1 represents the width of the greenhouse - S represents the solar angle at the winter solstice. The roof has at least one south longitudinal strip covered with panels, an alternation of longitudinal strips that are at least partially transparent, longitudinal strips that are at least partially covered with panels, and a north longitudinal strip covered with panels extending to the edge of the roof.

[0004] French patent FR3061376B1 of the company Ternergie describes the general principle of a photovoltaic building consisting of a basic structure surmounted by a roof, said roof being formed of at least one chapel, which chapel is composed of a first face equipped with photovoltaic modules, and a second transparent face, each of the two faces being composed of two longitudinal edges connected by two transverse edges, the two faces being attached to each other at the level of their upper longitudinal edges.

[0005] Patent EP3122172B1 describes an electrical power generation system, comprising:

[0006] - a load-bearing structure

[0007] - orientable solar collectors held at a distance from the ground by the structure carrier

[0008] - one or more actuators to modify the orientation of the solar collectors and the shadow cast on the ground,

[0009] - a calculator for automatically determining the orientation to be given to the sensors based on at least a history of crop sunlight and rainfall. The structure supporting the sensors is used to deploy a net over the crops. This net can have three functions • Protect crops against hail, taking into account weather forecasts. • Protect crops from animal attacks • To provide additional shade for crops, the choice of the opacity of the net being made according to an identified need for lighting of the crop, a history of sunshine and / or a forecast of sunshine. • Participate in the control of the nighttime microclimate above the crop by acting on the heat and moisture exchange with the external environment, the deployment being carried out according to an identified water and / or heat need of the crop, a water and / or heat history and / or lighting of the crop, a measurement of the water and / or heat state of the crop, a weather forecast. Disadvantages of prior art

[0010] Prior art solutions are not entirely satisfactory because some vegetation is fragile and sensitive to winds and weather penetrating through the open sides of prior art installations.

[0011] Totally closed solutions like a greenhouse are also not entirely satisfactory because they do not allow sufficient heat exchange and concentrate the heat. Solution provided by the invention

[0012] To overcome these drawbacks, the invention relates to an agrivoltaic installation having the following technical characteristics: • a load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of pillars • an upper frame equipped with photovoltaic panels alternating with transparent areas, held at a distance from the ground by said supporting structure

[0013] Characterized in that it further comprises a net surrounding said supporting structure with peripheral panels and an upper part extending under at least a part of said upper frame.

[0014] Advantageously, said net is supported by transverse reinforcements attached to said pillars, the net resting on said transverse reinforcements.

[0015] According to one embodiment, said transverse frames are each formed by a frame of substantially triangular shape having an arm inclined in an orientation corresponding to the inclination of said upper frame fixed on a pillar, a lower transverse arm fixed on said pillar, and a connecting arm ensuring the positioning of the vertical part of the lateral panel of the net.

[0016] Preferably, said transverse reinforcements are provided with means for attaching the lateral panels when they are rolled up.

[0017] Detailed description of a non-limiting example of embodiment

[0018] The present invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, concerning a non-limiting example of an embodiment illustrated by the accompanying drawings where:

[0019] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 represents a view of an installation according to the invention

[0020] [Fig.2] Fig.2 represents a view of a variant of an installation according to the invention. General principle of the invention

[0021] The general principle of the invention is to construct an agrivoltaic installation formed by vertical pillars supporting an inclined roof made of metal frames equipped with photovoltaic panels or alternating photovoltaic panels and transparent surfaces, generally glazed and possibly treated to ensure spectral filtering (also allowing to protect crops from burning while ensuring sufficient sunlight) and to provide a net whose lateral panels protect the growing area from insects, birds and hailstones and whose upper part provides a function of diffusing the light penetrating into the growing area through the transparent parts.

[0022] The upper parts of the nets also protect the growing area from the penetration of birds or hailstones.

[0023] The same net thus fulfills several functions and avoids treatments of transparent areas to make them diffusive. Detailed description of a project example

[0024] The present invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, concerning a non-limiting example of an embodiment illustrated by the accompanying drawings where:

[0025] [Fig. 1] [Fig. 1] represents a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the invention

[0026] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view of a second variant of implementation of the invention

[0027] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention. General principle of the invention

[0028] The general principle of the invention consists of constructing a photo-agricultural greenhouse installation in the form of a metallic superstructure made up of pillars (5, 6) supporting an inclined frame (4) onto which photovoltaic panels (10) are fixed, inclined to receive sunlight, alternating with transparent areas (20) allowing sunlight to penetrate into the growing volume (50). This superstructure is completed by a net having a mesh size between 0.2 mm² and 40 mm², forming a cage surrounding the growing volume (50), with peripheral panels (1, 3) encircling the lateral surfaces of the growing volume (50) and an upper panel (2) extending below the inclined frame (4). This net has a dual function of: a. Protection of crops against insects, birds and hailstones, mainly on the sides of the greenhouse, and at the level of transparent areas, when they are open b. of a diffuser of sunlight (21) passing through the transparent areas (20) to avoid direct radiation c. and incidentally protection against hail when the transparent areas (20) are open.

[0029] It is specified that the upper part of the net does not necessarily cover the entire upper surface area and may have a part extending diagonally from the frame to one of the side panels (1, 3).

[0030] Detailed description of an alternative embodiment

[0031] According to an advantageous embodiment, the net surrounding the growing area (50) is supported by frames (30, 31) attached to the pillars (5, 6) to form a sub-assembly complementing the agrivoltaic superstructure. The superstructure consists of a central longitudinal alignment of pillars (7, 8) supporting the inclined frame. Of course, it could also consist of a set of peripheral pillars (3, 4).

[0032] The frames (30, 31) have a generally triangular shape, with a transverse arm (35) fixed to the pillar (7) by a core (38), an upper arm (33) inclined in the same orientation as the upper frame, also fixed to the pillar (8) by a core (39), and an arm (34) closing the triangle. The net is supported by these frames (30, 31) in the manner of hangers. These frames (30, 31) include hook-shaped attachment means (36, 37) for attaching the side panels (1,3) when they are raised and rolled up, for example to facilitate access.

Claims

Demands

1. Agrivoltaic installation, comprising: • a load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of pillars (5, 6;7, 8) • an upper frame equipped with photovoltaic panels (10) alternating with transparent areas (20), held at a distance from the ground by said supporting structure • a net surrounding said supporting structure with peripheral sections (1, 3) and an upper part (3) extending under at least part of said upper frame characterized in that said net is supported by transverse reinforcements (30, 31) integral with said pillars (7, 8), the net resting on said transverse reinforcements (30, 31) and in that said transverse reinforcements (30, 31) are each formed by a frame of substantially triangular shape having an inclined arm (33) in an orientation corresponding to the inclination of said upper frame fixed on a pillar (7, 8), a lower transverse arm (35) fixed on said pillar, and a connecting arm (34) ensuring the positioning of the vertical part of the lateral section of the net.;

2. Agrivoltaic installation according to claim 1 characterized in that said transverse frames (30, 31) are provided with means for attaching (36, 37) the lateral panels (1, 3) when they are rolled up.

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