Text icon 'UFR' standing for University of Freiburg
Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
Seal element of the university of freiburg in the shape of a clover

Opening Ceremony: ZEE Agrivoltaics Demonstrator

Dark blue background with a silhouette of the demonstrator construction

About the Event

Agriculture or solar power? When acreage is limited, the question often arises as to which takes precedence. Agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV) combines electricity generation via photovoltaics with agricultural crop production on a single plot of land and is regarded as a promising approach that is increasingly being researched internationally. The “Agrivoltaics” project group, funded by the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), has been investigating this potential since October 2025 in collaboration with researchers from the University of Freiburg and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. At the heart of the project is a demonstrator developed under the leadership of the Centre for Renewable Energy (ZEE) at the University of Freiburg, which is part of the project group. The demonstrator will be inaugurated on 20 May 2026 on the grounds of the Faculty of Engineering.

FRIAS Project Group: Agrivoltaics

When?
20.05.2026
13:00 Uhr

Where?
Georges-Köhler-Allee 401a
79110 Freiburg
(behind the Institute for Solar Physics)

For whom?
All interested welcome. No registration needed.

Contact
E-Mail: Max Beyer
Phone: +49 (0)761 203-4302

About the Demonstrator

The demonstrator is located directly opposite the Europa-Park Stadium and, together with information boards, serves as an eye-catching feature designed to spark public interest in the topic of agri-photovoltaics. On this test site, crops are grown beneath photovoltaic modules that are positioned so that shading occurs mainly in the afternoon – that is, at a time of day when it can protect the plants from high temperatures and drought stress. Research is being conducted into the effects of the agri-PV system on the microclimate, plant growth and electricity yield. As part of the monitoring process, sensors record, among other things, light availability, air temperature, soil moisture and humidity beneath the system and compare these values with an unshaded reference area.

Press Coverage

On-Site Contact

Portrait of Moritz Diehl

Prof. Dr. ing. Moritz Diehl

Managing Director ZEE – Centre for Renewable Energy; Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK)
and Department of Mathematics

Portrait of Tim Krieger

Prof. Dr. Tim Krieger

Professor of Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy,
Speaker of FRIAS Project Group Agrivoltaics

Portrait of Max Trommsdorf

Dr. Max Trommsdorff

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems,
Co-Speaker of FRIAS Project Group Agrivoltaics

Protrait photo Ralf von den Hoff

Prof. Dr. Ralf von den Hoff

Director of FRIAS

Impressions

Moritz Diehl während seiner Eröffnungsrede vor der Versuchsanlage
Moritz Diehl, Managing Director ZEE
Menschen neben AgriPV Anlage
People listening to opening speeches
Max Trommsdorff im Interview mit Baden TV Süd
Max Trommsdorff, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Tim Krieger während seiner Rede
Tim Krieger, Speaker of FRIAS Project Group “Agrivoltaics”
People listening to opening speeches
Close-Up of finger pointing at sensor
Menschen sitzen und stehen um ein Hochbeet herum
Ralf von den Hoff (r.), Director of FRIAS
People handing out drinks at opening ceremony
Close-Up of glasses filled with strawberry lemonade