Company Epamig invests in research to combine agricultural and livestock production with solar energy generation in Minas Gerais, understand

With the aim of expanding the sources of income of rural producers, the Agricultural Research Company of Minas Gerais (Epamig) is embarking on a pioneering research that aims to combine the production of solar energy with agricultural and livestock activities. Brazil will see its first large-scale agrovoltaic initiative in the state of Minas Gerais, in the North and Central regions, chosen due to the high solar incidence, according to the Diário do Comércio website.

According to Polyanna Oliveira, a researcher at Epamig Norte, the agrovoltaic project consists of integrating agriculture and livestock with the generation of solar energy. This combination is promising, as it optimizes land use, makes it more sustainable and brings advantages to rural producers. If successful, the project can become a new source of income for these professionals.

The objective is to allow farmers to carry out their agricultural and livestock activities together with the installation of panels for solar energy generation, optimizing the use of space and adding value to their production.

Development of the solar energy project and pilot units

Actions to implement this innovative solar energy project are already underway. Epamig will start with courses in training for its technicians and researchers. The research will be conducted in two Epamig pilot units.

One of these units will be at the Mocambinho Experimental Field, located in Jaíba, in the North of Minas Gerais. The second unit will be installed in the Santa Rita Experimental Field, located in Prudente de Morais, in the central region of the state. 

Polyanna points out that the training was carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, based in Germany. The expectation is that the pilot projects will be fully implemented and operational in about seven months.

Potential benefits and tested cultures

Epamig's research aims to understand how agricultural and livestock crops interact with the energy generation system. Upon completion, the technology will be transferred to rural producers in Minas Gerais.

In the North of Minas Gerais, the research will evaluate the viability of associating the generation of solar energy with crops such as pineapple, strawberry, melon and grains, such as beans. In the Central region, attention will be on pasture and raising dairy calves.
Polyanna emphasizes that the research intends to offer a complete business model for producers, from the implementation to the most suitable crops for the system. The project is funded by the Research Support Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig) and the Minas Gerais Energy Company (Cemig), in addition to support from the Telecommunications Research and Development Center (CPqD). The initiative not only promises to improve agricultural efficiency, but could also become an important source of revenue throughout the year for rural producers in the state.