Additional information

LIFE+ REWIND project tries to test whether energy needs in agriculture can be met cost-efficiently and sustainably with renewable energy. During one year, the project conducted tests with solar panels in a winery; one of the most energy-demanding sectors in agriculture.

Two sets of panels were installed: Floating panels on the wastewater tank to feed the wastewater treatment plant and off-grid panels to feed the irrigation system of the vineyards. As the irrigation system does not work continuously, the panels that feed it generate excess energy which is used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis for fueling an all-terrain vehicle equipped with a fuel cell.

The floating panels avoided the consumption of 53902 KWh per year from the grid and the emission of 13476 kg of CO2 per year. In the case of the panels used in the irrigation system, they saved 2621 liters of diesel per year and avoided the emission of 7040 kg of CO2 per year. In addition, there were additional savings related to the maintenance of a diesel engine. The analysis of the costs and savings of the renewable system as compared to the conventional one, showed that the renewable system is both technically and economically viable. Adopting these systems makes farms more sustainable as well as resilient to variations in fuel and electricity prices.