30% Crop Losses Prevented | Agrivoltaics in Open-Field Blueberry Cultivation, Netherlands

How a Dutch blueberry pilot proves that agri-PV can protect crops, save water and generate clean energy

A New Challenge for European Farming

Across Europe, farmers are confronting record heat, hail, and water scarcity. Traditional methods of crop protection plastic tunnels or shade nets offer limited defense and no energy benefit.
That’s why a growing number of producers are turning to agrivoltaics (or agri-PV): the integration of solar photovoltaic panels with active farmland to produce both food and electricity.

For Brite Solar, this dual-use approach is more than a technological experiment; it’s a vision for climate-smart agriculture farming that remains productive, resilient and profitable under stressful conditions.

What Agrivoltaics Means

Agrivoltaics combines two previously competing activities crop cultivation and energy generation on the same land.
Instead of covering fields with opaque panels, semi-transparent modules let sunlight through, protecting plants from excess radiation and extreme weather while harvesting electricity from the remaining light.

Key benefits of agri-PV:
Dual income for farmers (food + energy)
Improved microclimate and reduced irrigation needs
Lower carbon footprint and compliance with EU Green Deal objectives
Protection from hail, heat waves and UV stress

Recent EU studies estimate Europe could host up to 51 TW of agrivoltaic capacity, enough to produce ≈ 71,500 TWh per year roughly a quarter of global electricity demand.

The Broekhuizen Blueberry Pilot: A First in the Netherlands

In 2020, Brite Solar partnered with blueberry grower Wouter Aerts in Broekhuizen, Limburg (Netherlands).

Aerts had been losing nearly 30% of his harvest each year due to heat and hail.

Rather than expand plastic tunnels, he decided to test whether semi-transparent nanotechnology solar glass could protect his berries while producing renewable energy.

Project Overview  Broekhuizen Blueberry Pilot (Netherlands)

Due to weather changes I lose 30 percent of the yield every year. The solar panels should protect against this and provide sustainable energy...

Wouter Aerts, Hayberries B.V.

The project was not designed to guarantee a 30% yield increase but to evaluate whether agrivoltaic design could reduce weather-related losses while maintaining normal production and collect scientific data on crop growth and energy output.

Technology & Design for Agri-PV Systems

Brite Solar’s semi-transparent glass panels use a proprietary nanotechnology coating that filters UV radiation and shifts part of it into the red spectrum the most useful for photosynthesis.
This allows plants to receive sufficient light while avoiding stress from excess radiation.

Each panel offers ≈ 40 % light transmission, combining protection and energy generation.
Mounted at 2.5 m height, the structure permits harvesting and mechanical access. Integrated gutters collect rainwater for irrigation a simple but powerful example of closed-loop resource use.

🌡 Microclimate Regulation under Agrivoltaics

Numerous agrivoltaic projects and research studies across different crops and climates report the following trends in microclimate and crop protection:

The solar canopy reduced heat peaks by up to 10 °C, creating a stable and cooler microclimate.
Evapotranspiration decreased, allowing water savings and better soil moisture retention.
The cover protected plants and workers from heavy rain and UV stress.
Disease incidence fell significantly growers reported 30–40 % less fungicide use compared to open fields.

🍇 Yield and Quality

In agrivoltaic experiments, crops under the panels have, in some cases, shown:

• Equal or better fruit quality than those under plastic tunnels.
• Stable or increased yields in climate-sensitive berries.

A meta-analysis from Wageningen (2024) supports these findings, showing that blueberries can benefit from up to 50% shading, especially under high radiation conditions, thereby improving yield stability and berry quality.

In short: the solar glass protected what nature threatened, without compromising production.

Europe policy for dual-use land and Agri-PV

While CAPEX is higher than standard PV installations, EU incentives and rising energy prices improve ROI. The EU CAP and national schemes increasingly recognize agrivoltaics as eligible for renewable and agricultural grants.
In July 2025, the European Commission adopted Recommendation C(2025) 4024, which encourages Member States to modernize their permitting regimes, align national legislation, and define innovative deployment forms (including agrivoltaics) within their energy strategies.
The Commission’s 2025 Communication on Innovative Technologies and Forms of Renewable Energy Deployment also highlights that agrisolar technologies are underutilized and calls for the development of regulatory clarity, expedited permitting procedures, and financial frameworks tailored to such systems.
These steps suggest that EU policy is progressively shifting from planning toward implementation support of agri-PV systems and that support is starting to move from theory into evolving practice.

Biodiversity Benefits (Industry Insights)

Ιn agrivoltaic and related agrisolar studies, partial shading is often linked with enhanced soil microbial activity and reduced runoff, while open or semi-translucent structures can maintain habitat continuity for pollinators and birds.

🔬 Technology of Solar Panels for Open-Yield

Brite Solar designs and manufactures semi-transparent nanotechnology glass panels that allow crops to thrive under filtered light. The panels block harmful UV radiation, converting it into red light that enhances photosynthesis, while maintaining high transparency and durability for more than 25 years.

With installations across Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and other European markets, Brite Solar leads the way in sustainable agrivoltaic innovation. The company also operates the world’s first nanotechnology-based solar panel manufacturing facility, located in Patras, Greece. This groundbreaking step combines advanced materials science with large-scale production for the global agricultural photovoltaic (Agri-PV) sector.

Contact Brite's team to learn more about your open-yield or greenhouse.

Phone: +30 2310 321342
Email: info@britesolar.com