A 54MW solar park in Spain combining agriculture and biodiversity is providing windows manufacturer Velux Group with renewable power.
It is the first agri-solar park that BayWa r.e. has built in Spain and has been financed through a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Velux.
It is now fully operational and connected to the Spanish electricity grid.
The agri-solar plant, built in Alhendin, near Granada, consists of more than 85,000 solar panels. About 10% of the park is designed to allow farming machinery to pass between solar panels, supporting sustainable agriculture.
It includes multiple features and biodiversity initiatives, including baseline studies, digitalisation and monitoring of vegetation, grass planting with natural seeds and wildflower species, wildlife refuges, ponds for amphibians, bird drinking tanks, nest boxes and posts as well as a hatching area to protect the endangered Lesser Kestrel bird species.
In November 2022, Velux Group and BayWa r.e. announced a PPA to develop two large solar PV in southern Spain: one in Gerena, close to Seville, and the other in Alhendin.
The Gerena solar park is awaiting regulatory approval locally and is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and is expected to be about 60MW in size.
Daniel Gafke, Global Director of Projects and Executive Member of the Board at BayWa r.e., said: “We are delighted to support Velux in reaching its goal of 100% renewable electricity for its European operations.
“This achievement represents an important milestone in BayWa r.e.’s own commitment to advancing the corporate energy transition that is so pivotal for meeting global climate targets.
“We are aligned with VELUX to go above and beyond normal standards, which allows us to implement pioneering elements like agri-PV, as well as improving biodiversity and fostering community engagement, for maximum local value creation.”