Experiment: growing blueberries under a roof of solar panels

Wouter Aerts from Broekhuizen is not just a blueberry grower. He is also a techie and an inventor. He came up with the idea of growing his blueberries under a roof of solar panels. In doing so, he hopes to protect the soft fruit from weather and generate energy at the same time. Yookr's sensors help analyze the results.

This is how it works

The solar panels rest on a structure that is about 2.5 meters high. They are incorporated into a transparent sheet, which must let through enough sunlight for the berries to grow. The roof provides protection from extreme weather, generates energy and also allows for the collection of rainwater. The plants themselves are placed in long gutters that are 40 centimeters off the ground. On the free soil come crops that are useful for pollination and pest control.

Invest

Money and time, that's what Aerts now has to invest before he knows whether his experiment will succeed and be sufficiently profitable. He has no guarantees, except that he will have to make improvements anyway. That's why the experiment is being conducted alongside regular outdoor cultivation.

Measuring is knowing

The company Yookr supplies sensors, with which measurements are taken to analyze the effects. What is the amount of grow light? What are the differences compared to open-air blueberry cultivation? How much evaporation takes place under the panels and when should watering take place? When is the blueberry ready for harvest? The first concrete results are not expected until next year.

L1mburg visited Hayberries B.V. and made this report:

Source: L1mburg and Yookr