Farm Photovoltaic Booster

AI Quick Summary

The “Farm Photovoltaic Booster” creates an organisation and a simple process to contact and advise farmers and to plan, finance and install PV systems. It is a new collaboration between the Kleinbauernvereinigung, PV financing and energy sales platforms and energy cooperatives. In addition to the existing farm products, such as a vegetable subscription, customers can also purchase an electricity subscription from “their farmer”. What problem would you like to solve?The expansion of renewable energies in Switzerland is too slow. There are cantonal and national support programmes, but they are not effective enough. Farm roofs are often very good for installing large photovoltaic systems, but many roofs still remain unused.Who are the customers and how will they profit from a solution?In the first round, the focus customers are farmers who belong to the “Kleinbauernvereinigung” (small farmers-association). Later this can be extended by working with Biosuisse or the farmers association.The “Farm Photovoltaic Booster” creates an organisation and a process to contact and advise farmers and to plan, finance and install PV systems. It is a new collaboration between the Kleinbauernvereinigung, PV financing and energy sales platforms and energy cooperatives. The innovation is that farmers are contacted by someone they know form the “Kleinbauern-Vereinigung” and that a simple process and a successful example project exists. The contracting company provides the financing which can also be done through crowdfunding. The energy cooperative plans and installs the photovoltaic system, either turnkey or as a self-build project. The solar energy can be sold to existing customers via a sales platform such as "Strom von Hier".This means that in addition to the existing farm products, such as a vegetable subscription, customers can also purchase an electricity subscription from “their farmer”. This creates a win-win situation in which the farmers get another line of business and people without the possibility to realise their own photovoltaic system can still obtain local renewable energy or even invest in it. How does your project idea affect energy savings or CO2 emissions?The CO2 emission reduction is achieved due to more renewable energy which displace fossil energy. In addition, solar energy available on site can encourage the introduction of other sustainable systems such as electric vehicles or heat pumps to heat the greenhouses without fossil fuels.Current status and previous activities -What has been tried before? What was not successful? What have you learned?Several farmers got contacted and motivated to build a PV-System on their roofs. Often, they have not enough money available to build a PV-System. Furthermore, there is a lot of effort needed to finance and implement a single PV-System without an established process. Therefore, an established process for advisory services and financing is needed, which is adapted to the needs of farmers.Resources needed- What are your planned work packages?For the project there are four work packages and two milestones planned:1. Organisation of the team and development of the necessary processes 2. Conduct the first prototype project with one farm to test the processes and to obtain sample material for future consultations.* Milestone 1: Prototype finished3. Produce consultation and promotional material such as flyers, website and checklists.4. The “Small Farmers Association” contacts their member through the association channels as well as in person and advises them on the realisation of a photovoltaic system.* Milestone 2: The first five photovoltaic systems are completedThe four work packages can be financed by the financial support of the innovation booster. In the long term, the advisory services are to be financed with the profit from the realised projects. How can the Energy Lab help you?The help from energy lab could be used in organising an efficient coworking, for creating the process and the communication strategy as well as designing the necessary documents.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: Farm Photovoltaic Booster
Date: 6/6/2022 8:57:37 AM
Administrators:
- Denis Kriegesmann

Project Idea Description

What problem would you like to solve?

The expansion of renewable energies in Switzerland is too slow. There are cantonal and national support programmes, but they are not effective enough. Farm roofs are often very good for installing large photovoltaic systems, but many roofs still remain unused.

Who are the customers and how will they profit from a solution?

In the first round, the focus customers are farmers who belong to the “Kleinbauernvereinigung” (small farmers-association). Later this can be extended by working with Biosuisse or the farmers association.

The “Farm Photovoltaic Booster” creates an organisation and a process to contact and advise farmers and to plan, finance and install PV systems. It is a new collaboration between the Kleinbauernvereinigung, PV financing and energy sales platforms and energy cooperatives.

The innovation is that farmers are contacted by someone they know form the “Kleinbauern-Vereinigung” and that a simple process and a successful example project exists.

The contracting company provides the financing which can also be done through crowdfunding. The energy cooperative plans and installs the photovoltaic system, either turnkey or as a self-build project. The solar energy can be sold to existing customers via a sales platform such as "Strom von Hier".

This means that in addition to the existing farm products, such as a vegetable subscription, customers can also purchase an electricity subscription from “their farmer”. This creates a win-win situation in which the farmers get another line of business and people without the possibility to realise their own photovoltaic system can still obtain local renewable energy or even invest in it.

How does your project idea affect energy savings or CO2 emissions?

The CO2 emission reduction is achieved due to more renewable energy which displace fossil energy. In addition, solar energy available on site can encourage the introduction of other sustainable systems such as electric vehicles or heat pumps to heat the greenhouses without fossil fuels.

Current status and previous activities -What has been tried before? What was not successful? What have you learned?

Several farmers got contacted and motivated to build a PV-System on their roofs. Often, they have not enough money available to build a PV-System. Furthermore, there is a lot of effort needed to finance and implement a single PV-System without an established process. Therefore, an established process for advisory services and financing is needed, which is adapted to the needs of farmers.

Resources needed- What are your planned work packages?

For the project there are four work packages and two milestones planned:

1. Organisation of the team and development of the necessary processes

2. Conduct the first prototype project with one farm to test the processes and to obtain sample material for future consultations.

* Milestone 1: Prototype finished

3. Produce consultation and promotional material such as flyers, website and checklists.

4. The “Small Farmers Association” contacts their member through the association channels as well as in person and advises them on the realisation of a photovoltaic system.

* Milestone 2: The first five photovoltaic systems are completed

The four work packages can be financed by the financial support of the innovation booster. In the long term, the advisory services are to be financed with the profit from the realised projects.

How can the Energy Lab help you?

The help from energy lab could be used in organising an efficient coworking, for creating the process and the communication strategy as well as designing the necessary documents.

The “Farm Photovoltaic Booster” creates an organisation and a simple process to contact and advise farmers and to plan, finance and install PV systems.

It is a new collaboration between the Kleinbauernvereinigung, PV financing and energy sales platforms and energy cooperatives. In addition to the existing farm products, such as a vegetable subscription, customers can also purchase an electricity subscription from “their farmer”.