Swiss energy company Insolight has started an agrivoltaic trial in Valais that installs a 250 kW solar array above apple, pear and apricot orchards, producing about 300 MWh per year while protecting trees from hail and heavy rain. Partners include Agroscope, Romande Energie and the canton of Valais, and sensors monitoring light, soil moisture and temperature let researchers test different crop–panel setups. The project aims to boost farmer income, conserve water, increase resilience to extreme weather and reduce emissions; similar efforts in France and the U.S. are already showing promising results.
Swiss Energy Firm Launches Agrivoltaic Trial Over Orchards — Solar Panels Shield Fruit and Supply Clean Power
Swiss energy company Insolight has started an agrivoltaic trial in Valais that installs a 250 kW solar array above apple, pear and apricot orchards, producing about 300 MWh per year while protecting trees from hail and heavy rain. Partners include Agroscope, Romande Energie and the canton of Valais, and sensors monitoring light, soil moisture and temperature let researchers test different crop–panel setups. The project aims to boost farmer income, conserve water, increase resilience to extreme weather and reduce emissions; similar efforts in France and the U.S. are already showing promising results.
03:43, 04.11.2025Environment
Swiss agrivoltaic trial combines fruit growing with clean energy
Swiss energy company Insolight has begun a new agrivoltaic experiment in the canton of Valais that places a 250 kW solar array above apple, pear and apricot orchards so the same land produces both electricity and fresh fruit.
According to PV Magazine, the overhead panels are engineered to protect trees from hail and heavy rain while delivering roughly 300 MWh of electricity per year to the grid. The installation builds on earlier Insolight pilots with berry crops and represents a major step toward making agrivoltaics viable for tree fruit at scale.
Research, sensors and partners
The trial is being run in partnership with Agroscope, Romande Energie and the canton of Valais. Sensors distributed across the orchards continuously monitor sunlight, soil moisture and temperature, allowing researchers to fine‑tune panel configurations and cultivation practices to optimize both yields and power output.
"The collected data allows us to test all sorts of combinations," said Insolight co‑founder and chief technology officer Mathieu Ackerman.
Potential benefits
By pairing renewable power generation with fruit cultivation, agrivoltaic systems can provide farmers with an additional revenue stream, reduce water loss through shading, and shield crops from increasingly erratic weather — all while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. These systems also make more efficient use of limited land by allowing agriculture and clean energy to coexist.
Global context
Similar projects are already showing promise: agrivoltaic installations in France are helping vineyards cope with drought, and in the United States some solar farms are managed to support pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Together, these initiatives point toward a future where farms both feed communities and help power them.
What’s next: The Valais trial will use the collected sensor data to test different crop‑panel arrangements and management techniques; results will help determine how easily the approach can be scaled to benefit small and large producers worldwide.