ICaRE4Farms - Increase the capacity of Renewable Energies (RE) in Farms in the North West Europe Region by using Solar Thermal Energy

Laval Mayenne Technopole (LMT) is the key actor for innovation in Mayenne and supports economic development of the territory through innovation.

Member of EBN (European Business Network) and certified EU-BIC, LMT has more than 20 years of experience in supporting innovative entrepreneurs to validate their business idea, design their product/service, raise funds and grow on a national and international level. LMT also supports local SMEs to develop new products and services (Digital, Data, Agrifood business, NLP, RV/RA).

With more than 10 years of experience in collaborative and European projects, LMT has developed an extended network of trusted partners (Universities, SMEs and large corporations).

Association des Chambres d’Agriculture de l’Arc Atlantique is an association which was set up in 1993. Its members are the Chambers of Agriculture from the Atlantic area.

AC3A aims at providing the opportunity to the Chambers of Agriculture of the Atlantic Area to experiment and exchange on a European level about agricultural issues in order to ensure the sector remains dynamic, innovative and sustainable.

AC3A’s projects identify and/or develop solutions to support the Chambers in this process, through European cooperation. Also, AC3A shares savoir-faire developed within the Chambers with partners from other European countries.

Innovatiesteunpunt vzw (ISP) the Innovation Support Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development is the specialized service in Flanders for guiding agricultural entrepreneurs, groups of rural residents and local governments in taking a new future-oriented direction. Embedded within Boerenbond, the largest farmers’ organization in Flanders, our activities are focused on a sustainable agriculture in a vibrant rural area, targeting three domains: technical development, business development and rural development.

ISP represents the Flemish farmers and will help to find Flemish farmers who want to invest in Solar Thermal energy systems on their farms.

The University of Lincoln  main role is teaching, doing research and knowledge exchange with 13,000 students. Lincolnshire produces 25% of UK's fresh produce, so serving the Agri-food sector is central mission in close collaboration between the 'School of Engineering' and the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology. UoL is engaged in several North West Europe Interreg projects and in many international research projects.

The University of Lincoln will

• provide research and support in optimising the technology in UK
• provide a pilot site at Riseholme farm (UoL farms)
• collaborate with other partners, especially with UBS, to develop the monitoring methodology, analyse the data and develop a digital model of the ETF system to understand the energy behaviour of the installation
• disseminate project results via articles and scientific publications

Cornelissen Consulting Services is an energy consultancy based in the Netherlands that initiates and advises on projects in the field of energy. Key concepts in the CCS work area are:

• heat

• CHP and
• biogas.

We work in the agricultural sector, industry and building environment. Our mission is to realize profitable energy solutions through an innovative approach. CCS is continuously developing and improving new and innovative applications.

Université de Bretagne Sud (UBS) is a multidisciplinary university. It offers academic programmes to 8500 students (72 nationalities) from Bachelor’s degree to doctorate level in different areas: arts, social sciences, engineering, computer science, biochemistry, mathematics, law, economics and business.

Research at UBS among its 250 researchers and 200 PhD students. It’s organized around 14 laboratories grouped into 4 research and innovation centres: “materials and energy”, “digital”, “human, sea and coastline”, “customs and societies”.

Its research income is nearly 5.5 M€ / year.

UBS Main research axes are :

• D3 – Marine activities for Blue Growth
• D4 –Technology for digital age
• D6 - Advanced industrial technologies
• D7- Observation, and energy and ecological engineering

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly aims to play a transformative role in the success of our region. Our Vision is to craft a creative, vibrant and low-carbon regional economy. Our members and team simply want to ‘connect’ the strengths of this incredible region and celebrate its unique sense of place. The Assembly is intent on leading Ireland into 2040.

Our objectives are clear. The Regional Assembly is intent on adopting international best practice in planning & development in order to create better places. Underpinning this approach is the commitment to enhancing competitiveness through policies that build resilience and sustainability, working with our stakeholders to utilise EU & Exchequer funding. Achieving this will be done through a dedicated and principled approach to collaboration.

The Regional Assembly has a vision to enhance our region’s competitiveness through ‘CONNECTING’ and building on our strengths. The Regional Assembly is playing a lead role in the success story of this region.

Feng Technologies SAS is a Young Innovative Company created in 2010 by Liqun FENG, located in Laval in Mayenne and integrated into Laval Mayenne Technopole. Its main activity is focused on product innovation capturing solar energy to produce solar thermal energy. Thanks to outdoor installations, companies and individuals save at least 50% on their energy bill.

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The long term Work Package (WP) aims to boost the growth of Solar Thermal Energy (STE) use in farming activities in NWE regions.

The project has ambitious roll-out objectives: 300 new generation STE in 5 years after the project finalisation, and more than 900 STE systems 10 years after the project end. This will lead to 1Mt (million tons) CO2 saved over the system lifetime (i.e. 0.5% of the EU yearly agriculture emissions) and the creation of 200 jobs in different sectors. AC3A, NRWA and LMT will lead this roll-out strategy, in cooperation with the industrial partners (Fengtech, CCS, SunChip).

The ICaRE4Farms partners will implement a two-fold strategy:

• market development, and
• policy change.

Market development actions will be directly targeted at end-users (mainly farmers) and at commercial and non-commercial organisations that provide support to farmers. The commercial intermediaries (installers, distributors…) are key actors to spread STE throughout the NWE regions. Only if the project succeeds in attracting the interest of these commercial intermediaries to offer the STE systems to their clients, will it be possible to achieve the market uptake objectives. The 4 pilots and the additional 17 STE projects will be key to demonstrate they offer a highly competitive solution for water heating and heat generation needs in farming activities. The visits to the sites will provide real-life examples of the advantages (affordability, efficiency, return on investment (ROI), easy operation, low maintenance costs, environmental benefits) of STE projects. The LT market development actions will build on WP3 market uptake activities and on the project communication objectives, to create a community of STE stakeholders and end-users.

To induce some policy changes that will facilitate STE deployment, the project will liaise with policymakers in NWE and in the EU. Communication and dissemination actions will continue beyond the end of the project, to improve regulatory framework and market conditions to promote the use of STE.

This WP will be coordinated by the lead partner (LP), LMT, in close cooperation with all the partners.

Partners will be fully involved in the project management and coordination and co-operate with the coordinator in setting up the appropriate structures and procedures to ensure a smooth project implementation and fluent internal communication.

A Steering Committee (SC) composed of a representative of each partner and chaired by the LP will be leading the project implementation. The SC will be convened by the LP and shall formally meet once per year; SC may also meet online if required. The SC will preferably take its decisions by consensus; if it cannot be reached, SC will take decisions by majority vote. The SC shall not take any decision in breach of programme regulations or management documents.

Each partner will appoint a project (PM) and a financial (FM) manager to be the main contact persons in their organisation for project implementation and financial management. The LP PM will be responsible for the overall project coordination, while the partner’s PMs will be responsible for project management at partner level. Partners’ PM will be meeting regularly either on-line (at least 1 per month) or in-person (at least 2 per year). Activity and expenditure management and reporting will follow the programme regulations.

Partners’ FM will fill in the individual financial report and will have it certified by FLC according to Programme requirements. For internal monitoring and risk control purposes, the partners’ PMs will be asked to report to each SC meeting on the project implementation progress as well as on the WPs they lead. PMs must report to LP any issue that could affect project implementation as soon as they become aware of it. LP will be supported by an external consultancy for the project management and coordination activities. An external intermediate and final project evaluation will be carried out to assess the project compliance and offer corrective measures

ICaRE4Farms communication and dissemination should contribute to accelerate the market uptake of STE in the agricultural sector and therefore the project general objective of increasing the use of STE in farming in the NWE regions. As project progresses, the communication will convey the project findings and results to raise the awareness of the target groups regarding the advantages of STE, and to encourage them to implement a robust and efficient renewable energy source, in combination with another RES.

Main target groups of the communication activities are:

• farmers and supporting organisations (cooperatives, farmer’s associations, public agencies);
• commercial partners (distributors and installers).

Other additional target groups will be the research community and the policymakers.

Communication strategy and tools will be adapted to the target groups and will evolve as the project progresses. They should contribute to raising the awareness of the main target groups regarding the potential of STE to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and offset GHG emissions in farming, to make it more sustainable. They should help to change the minds of farmers and commercial partners that do not consider it as an efficient solution to be the main heating resource on a farm. These target groups require real-life examples, through direct communication actions (info-days, visits to sites…), and easy to understand information (factsheet, infographics, audio-visual productions…) to change their perspective.

Other groups (scientific community, policymakers, industrial prescribers) will be targeted with publications, social networks and other tools. This Communication WP will be coordinated by a communication officer belonging to NWRA, who will lead the communication actions, in close cooperation with all the other partners. Partners understand that project communication is a joint task to which all need to contribute to achieving the communication objectives.

This Work Package contributes to the 1st project SO, to accelerate the market entry of next generation of STE systems in the NWE.

Although STE has a significant potential to replace fossil energy sources for water heating, it is still little known and used in NWE: most of the systems installed and offered in NWE have a quite low efficiency due to low solar irradiance that has made STE less attractive for farmers. This WP will allow to better understand and identify barriers for roll-out: different regulations for Renewable Energy, access to finance, a sufficient return on investment of the NG STE, and support of NG STE by farmers and installers.

The partners will carry out market, regulatory and technical research and business intelligence analysis to prepare an effective strategy for future deployment and tackle the barriers for the roll-out of STE systems in farming activities. Partners will also carry out a thorough screening of STE and other RES technologies to evaluate alternatives and complementarities for the most efficient energy balance that meets the farm energy needs. It will lead to propose different STE deployment cases and business models that will include the financial structure and implementation alternatives.

LMT will lead a working group (WG) for market analysis, while CCS will lead the STE and RES technology screening. WG will agree on the requirements for the market study and the structure of the report, will issue guidelines for data collection, and will agree on a set of standard questionnaires to ensure comparability. Then, all partners will cooperate in the collection of primary (surveys & interviews to distributors, installers and end-users) and secondary (official statistics & other reports) data to look at hot water demand of farmers and their capacity to use STE across countries and agricultural sectors, to assess the outlook for STE in farming in NWE. Partners will also identify different ways to finance RE in NWE and to assess the impact on BM & finance STE deployment.

The demonstration of the efficiency of next-generation STE systems is the second project sub-objective, which partners consider a key step for the uptake of this technology in the farming sector, for different reasons: STE has to make evident its efficiency and potential use in farming against other RES and conventional energy sources in NWE climate conditions.

To demonstrate it, partners will equip four selected sites with innovative STE systems (which are described in the WP Investments), will monitor their performance and will build, test and validate numerical models to simulate the system behaviour.

UBS and UoL will lead this activity. They will define the common and application-specific sensing and monitoring requirements will decide the instrumentation strategy and will identify, specify and procure the appropriate metrology to monitor and log data from the pilots. The monitoring strategy and measurement instrumentation of the pilots will be based on a pre-test carried out in an existing STE installation during the pre-audit phase, which will also provide basic data to build the numerical models.

The partners or sub-partners in charge of the pilot STE sites will be responsible for the installation of the metrology in each of the sites under UoL/UBS technical guidance, and for collecting and transmitting the data. Then UoL and UBS will analyse the data and determine energy-saving benefits with respect to short term day-to-day usage, and performance changes as a result of
seasonal variations and user requirements.

The data from the pilots will be used to validate the numerical models of STE systems. The validated numerical models will help to understand the functioning of the system dynamically and to predict its behaviour depending on location and needs. These models will support the optimisation of STE systems adapted to different farming activities, energy needs and climatic conditions.

The final objective of the ICaRE4Farms is to boost the deployment of STE systems in farming in NWE. All WP and activities are designed to contribute to that final goal, and this WP is intended to culminate the project endeavour.

The partner engineering companies (CCS, SunChip, FengTech) in cooperation with the research centres that have carried out the monitoring of the pilot projects will develop some supporting tools to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the STE systems for different farming activities and climate conditions and to facilitate the design and sizing of the installation, as well as the necessary additional backup energy sources (RES or conventional ES).

Under this WP, the partners will also carry out a market uptake strategy, which will be primarily led by the intermediate organisations that provide support to farmers, assisted by the partners that have been running the pilot sites. The market uptake will be strongly based on the awareness the project will raise among farmers and intermediate organisations (distributors and installers of energy systems) regarding the potential of STE to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and offset GHG emissions in farming. To achieve it, the partners will identify distributors and installers willing to add next-generation STE systems to their products and will run a series of training and demonstration activities (showcases) targeted both at intermediaries and end-users, including visits to the pilot sites to show the systems in operation.

Finally, the project will support the deployment of a limited number of additional STE sites, providing engineering and technical assistance to farmers interested in installing STE systems. The partners will launch an open call for applications and will select those that may have a higher impact and replication potential. A task force composed of the technical staff from partner organisations will provide support to end-users in design of the STE systems

The pilot will consist of a high-efficiency STE installation to supply hot water to a veal farm of 400 places in West of France for milk preparation to feed calves.

The STE equipment will be composed of an estimated 16 solar panels, with the connecting pipes, pumps, valves and other equipment. The farm EARL du Boulay will be sub-partner of AC3A.

The solar panels and valves of the STE system will be supplied by Fengtech, while the infrastructure and construction works will be realised by the partner owning the site. The installation will be carried out by an installer that will provide the small equipment (pump, pipes, cables...).

The installation process will begin with Fengtech’s visit to the pilot site, to validate dimensioning characteristics of the system required, fine-tuned on a rigorous assessment of the farmers’ needs. Once the installer selected, a second visit will be organised together with the installer and Fengtech to determine the place on the site where the system will be installed, the identification of plumber work needed, the location of trenches, and the positioning of pipework and the concrete slab. Then partners and
installer will agree on retro planning of the site preparation and installation. During the installation, the installer will be trained by Fengtech, becoming able to carry out other installations elsewhere and be part of the STE community that will be ensuring the roll-out of the technology. The installation of the STE equipment will be coordinated with the installation of the monitoring equipment to be done by UBS.

Operation and monitoring of this pilot site, as for other sites of the project, will contribute to the dissemination and market uptake of STE in farming, as it will demonstrate that is a robust and efficient renewable energy source for water heating purposes in veal farming. The pilot sites are considered as a core component of the project and will contribute to the main output in WP2: STE pilot sites.

The pilot will consist of a high-efficiency Solar Thermal Energy installation to supply hot water to heat a greenhouse of 12m by 6m in Lincoln, specialised in tomato culture.

The STE equipment will be composed of an estimated 8 solar panels, with the connecting pipes, pumps, valves and other equipment.

UoL is teaching, research, knowledge exchange with 13,000 students and serving the Agri-food sector is a central mission. For teaching purposes they have also an experimental farm in Riseholme, it will host the STE equipment on one section of the greenhouse. The solar panels and valves of the STE system will be supplied by Fengtech, while UoL will ensure the coordination
for the preparation of the site.

The installation will be carried out by an installer that will provide the small equipment (pump, pipes, cables, fittings….). The installation process will begin with Fengtech’s visit to the pilot site, to validate dimensioning characteristics of the system required, fine-tuned on a rigorous assessment of the farmers’ needs. Once the installer selected, a second visit will be organised together with the installer and Fengtech to determine the place on the site where the system will be installed, the identification of plumber work needed, the location of trenches, and the positioning of pipework and the concrete slab. Then partners and installer will agree on retro planning of the site preparation and installation. The installation of the STE equipment will be coordinated with the installation of the monitoring equipment to be done by UoL.

The operation and monitoring of this pilot site, as for other sites of the project, will contribute to the dissemination and market uptake of STE in farming, as it will demonstrate that is a robust and efficient renewable energy source for heating greenhouses.

The pilot sites are considered as a core component of the project and will contribute to the main output in WP2: STE pilot sites.

The pilot will consist of a high-efficiency Solar Thermal Energy installation to supply hot water to heat a manure digester in the Netherlands.

The STE equipment will be composed of an estimated 30 solar panels, with the connecting pipes, pumps, valves and other equipment.
CCS has developed several innovative manure digester systems that need heat to function. As to contribute to the functioning of manure digester is a particular technology, and developed by CCS; together with Fengtech, they will select the best location among already identified farmers, at the beginning of the project.

The solar panels and valves of the STE system will be supplied by Fengtech.CCS will therefore take in charge the budget required for its installation on the farm, preparation of site and selection of an installer that will provide the small equipment (pump, pipes, cables, fittings).

Once the site is selected, Fengtech will visit the pilot site, to validate dimensioning characteristics of the system required, fine-tuned on a rigorous assessment of the farmers’ needs. A 2nd visit will be organised together with the selected installer and Fengtech to determine the exact location of the equipment on-site, the identification of plumber work needed, the location of trenches, and the positioning of pipework and concrete slab. Then partners and installer will agree on retro planning of the site preparation and installation. The installation of the STE equipment will be coordinated with the installation of the monitoring
equipment to be done by UBS.

The operation and monitoring of this pilot site will contribute to the dissemination and market uptake of STE in farming, as it will demonstrate that it is a robust and efficient renewable energy source for water heating purposes of a biodigester. The pilot sites are considered as a core component of the project and will contribute to the main output in WP2: STE pilot sites.

The pilot will consist of a high-efficiency STE installation to supply hot water to heat a pig farm in Belgium in the region of Flanders, near Leuven.

STE equipment will be composed of an estimated 24 solar panels, with the connecting pipes, pumps,
valves and other equipment. ISP is an innovation centre for agricultural and rural development, supporting farmers to integrate innovative solutions and therefore they work with innovative farmers on a daily basis. NG STE is not well known among Belgian pig farmers so far. ISP has already identified farmers interested in STE, however, they need more information and to understand the overall benefits of STE, to convince one of them. At the beginning of the project, meetings will be organized in French farms already equipped to select the appropriate Belgian farm to install system.

Solar panels and valves of STE system will be supplied by Fengtech. ISP will take in charge the budget required for its installation on the farm, preparation of site and selection of an installer that will provide the small equipment. Once the site is selected, Fengtech will visit the farm to validate dimensioning characteristics of the system required. A 2nd visit will be organised with the selected installer and Fengtech to determine the location of the equipment on-site, the identification of plumber work needed, the location of trenches and the positioning of pipework and concrete slab. Then partners and installer will agree on retro planning of the site preparation and installation. STE equipment installation will be coordinated with the installation of the monitoring equipment (UBS).
The operation and monitoring of this pilot site, as the others of the project, will contribute to the dissemination and market uptake of STE in farming, as it will demonstrate that it is an efficient RE source for water heating purposes in pig farms. The pilot
sites will contribute to the output in WP2.

On 13 June 2023, we held our webinar “Solar Thermal Energy in Agriculture – Supporting technology uptake and political incentives” online from 10:00 to 11:30 am CEST.

Listed below are the project outputs. Most projects set initial targets as a measure of recording the success of the project. This project's targets have been met and in some instances exceeded.

Policy Recommendations

POLICY BRIEF Part I: Barriers to be overcome for boosting the market uptake of Social Thermal Energy solutions file

POLICY BRIEF Part II: Challenges file

POLICY BRIEF Part III: Conclusions and policy recommendations file

One of the activities described in the I4F project manual is the open call for proposals; an effort to gather more applicants for installing solar thermal installations besides those selected for each of the national pilot sites inside of the project. The aim of the project is to contact at least 17 individual farmers and follow up on these farmers, even beyond the project term. The activity concerning the call for proposals is aimed at finding and contacting these farmers, following up on initial contact by maintaining relations and estimating whether these farms are suitable for STE and if they fulfil the
requirements, eventually installing an STE system at these sites.

In order to properly perform these activities, a general step-by-step process for acquisition is required, as well as guidelines on how to quickly assess whether a particular business case is interesting for the farmer. This document will describe these strategies and the requirements and figures required to estimate whether a system is feasible.

Call for proposal guidelines

Consignes Appel à Candidatures

Richtlijnen voor het indienen van voorstellen

To apply, please use the form in your language below

Français: https://forms.gle/vXxtKsx3Ro9uE2YT7

English: https://forms.gle/NK83cXSCjyUkdnLm6

Nederlandse: https://forms.gle/bEdMERQeyLZJnpPE9

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Since the Paris agreements, the states have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and developing renewable energies, as their priorities. At the European level, these policies are continuing today with the adoption of the Green Deal and the objective of reducing GHG emissions by 30%.

Since the Paris agreements, the states have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and developing renewable energies, as their priorities. At the European level, these policies are continuing today with the adoption of the Green Deal and the objective of reducing GHG emissions by 30%.

Agriculture, the leading producer of green energy, also consumes large quantities of fossil fuels. STE, long neglected in North West European countries due to climatic conditions, is now an economical and renewable alternative to energy sources such as gas, oil and electricity.

The ICARE4FARMS project aims at testing the relevance and the potential development of STE in North-Western European agriculture and in particular in five countries: Belgium (Flanders), France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This study aims to identify the most relevant agricultural sectors for the use of solar thermal energy in each of the five countries, to study the technical and financial conditions of their substitution to conventional energy sources and to estimate their development potential.

STE (production of heat and not electricity) is still very little used in agricultural production in Northern Europe for three main reasons:

• It depends on the average annual sunshine which is between 1200kwh/m2/year for the northern half of France to less than 900kwh/m2/year in Ireland,
• It is adapted to heating systems using hot water and preferably at low temperature (below 60°C),
• It is more profitable if heat is required throughout the year.

Based on the previous criteria we have identified five main types of agricultural production potentially suitable for STE:

1. Milk-fed calf farms that use hot water for feed production (reconstituted milk),
2. Dairy farms and in particular those that process milk on the farm,
3. Pig farms, especially maternity and post-weaning units,
4. Heated greenhouses: market gardening and horticulture,
5. Broiler poultry farms.

Interviews with farmers and representatives of the various agricultural technical centres made it possible to specify the most relevant cases for each of these areas. Finally, in each country, economic studies of the sector produced by the States (ministries of agriculture, national energy agencies, etc.), universities and/or agricultural technical centres allowed us to evaluate the number of solar thermal installations that can potentially be deployed on farms.

It emerges that 3 target sectors stand out in our five countries:

1. Dairy farms with more than 100 cows in France, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands,
2. Beef calf farms in France, Belgium and the Netherlands,
3. Greenhouses kept frost-free or at low temperatures in France and Great Britain.

Considering this data, the number of possible solar installations draws near 30,000.

The complete market analysis report endeavours to review and explore these potential prospects related to STE within the agricultural area, with an in-depth focus on the 5 target sectors of high interest.

It provides a relevant overview of prominent field materials and outlooks about STE optimal application in agriculture; it will be complemented by several case studies as well as further inquiries to detail more precisely the ideal specifications to address properly the overlap of technical constraints and energy needs.

Click to read the Market Analysis 

Depuis les accords de Paris, les Etats signataires se sont engagés prioritairement à réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) et à développer les énergies renouvelables. Au niveau européen, ces politiques se poursuivent aujourd’hui avec l’adoption du Green Deal et l’objectif de réduction des émissions de GES de 30%.

L’agriculture, premier producteur d’énergie verte, consomme aussi de grandes quantités d’énergies fossiles. L’Énergie Solaire Thermique (EST), longtemps négligée dans les pays du Nord-Ouest de l’Europe en raison des conditions climatiques défavorables, est désormais une alternative économique et durable aux sources d’énergie telles que le gaz, le pétrole et l’électricité. Le projet ICaRE4Farms vise à tester la pertinence et le potentiel de développement de L’EST dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Europe et en particulier dans cinq pays : Belgique (Flandre), France, Irlande, Pays-Bas et Royaume-Uni. Cette étude vise à identifier les secteurs agricoles les plus pertinents pour l’utilisation de l’énergie solaire thermique dans chacun des pays, d’étudier les conditions techniques et financières de leur substitution aux sources d’énergie conventionnelles et d’estimer leur potentiel de développement.

L’EST (production de chaleur et non d’électricité) est encore très peu utilisée dans la production agricole en Europe du Nord et ne convient qu’à certains types d’usages :

• Elle dépend de l’ensoleillement moyen annuel qui est compris entre 1200kwh/m²/an pour la moitié nord de la France et moins de 900kwh/m²/an en Irlande,
• Elle est adaptée aux systèmes de chauffage à eau chaude et de préférence à basse température (inférieure à 60°C),
• Elle est plus rentable si la chaleur est nécessaire tout au long de l’année.

Suite aux constats de l’étude de marché,  nous avons identifié cinq principaux types de production agricole pouvant convenir à l’EST :

1. Les élevages de veaux de boucherie qui utilisent de l’eau chaude pour la production d’aliments (lait reconstitué),
2. Les élevages laitiers et en particulier ceux qui transforment le lait à la ferme,
3. Les élevages porcins, et en particulier les maternités et les ateliers de post-sevrage,
4. Les serres chauffées : maraîchage et horticulture
5. Les élevages de volailles de chair.

Des entretiens avec des agriculteurs et des représentants des différents centres techniques agricoles ont permis de préciser les cas les plus pertinents pour chacun de ces domaines. Enfin, dans chaque pays, des études économiques du secteur produites par les États (ministères de l’agriculture, agences nationales de l’énergie, des universités et/ou des centres techniques agricoles) ont permis d’évaluer le nombre d’installations solaires thermiques pouvant être potentiellement déployées dans les exploitations agricoles.Il en ressort que 3 secteurs cibles se distinguent dans nos cinq pays :

1. Les fermes laitières de plus de 100 vaches en France, Belgique, Grande-Bretagne, Irlande et Pays-Bas,
2. Des élevages de veaux de boucherie en France, en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas,
3. Les serres maintenues hors gel ou à basse température en France et en Grande-Bretagne.

Compte tenu de ces données, le nombre d’installations solaires possibles avoisine les 30 000.

Le rapport complet d’analyse de marché s’efforce de passer en revue et d’explorer ces perspectives potentielles liées à l’EST au sein de l’UE dans le domaine agricole, en se concentrant sur les 5 secteurs cibles potentiels. Il fournit une vue d’ensemble pertinente des principaux matériaux de terrain et des perspectives concernant l’application optimale des STE dans l’agriculture. Il sera complété par plusieurs études de cas ainsi que par d’autres enquêtes visant à détailler plus précisément les spécifications idéales pour aborder correctement cette intersection entre contraintes techniques et besoins énergétiques.

 Lire l'analyse du marché ici

Sinds de akkoorden van Parijs hebben de verschillende betrokken partijen toegezegd er hun prioriteit van te maken om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen (BKG) te verminderen en hernieuwbare energiebronnen verder te ontwikkelen. Op Europees niveau wordt dit beleid vandaag voortgezet met de goedkeuring van de Green Deal en de doelstelling om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen met 30% te verminderen.

De landbouw, de grootste producent van groene energie, verbruikt ook grote hoeveelheden fossiele brandstoffen. Zonthermiek (STE), lang verwaarloosd in Noordwest-Europese landen vanwege de klimatologische omstandigheden, is nu een economisch en hernieuwbaar alternatief voor energiebronnen zoals gas, olie en elektriciteit.

Het ICARE4FARMS-project heeft tot doel de relevantie en de potentiële ontwikkeling van STE in de Noordwest-Europese landbouw te testen en in het bijzonder in vijf landen: België (Vlaanderen), Frankrijk, Ierland, Nederland en het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Deze studie heeft als doel de meest relevante landbouwsectoren voor het gebruik van thermische zonne-energie in elk van de vijf landen te identificeren, de technische en financiële voorwaarden voor hun vervanging door conventionele energiebronnen te bestuderen en hun ontwikkelingspotentieel in te schatten.

STE (productie van warmte en niet van elektriciteit) wordt nog steeds heel weinig gebruikt in de landbouwproductie in Noord-Europa om drie belangrijke redenen:

• Het hangt af van de gemiddelde jaarlijkse zonneschijn die tussen 1200kwh/m2/jaar ligt voor de noordelijke helft van Frankrijk tot minder dan 900kwh/m2/jaar in Ierland,
• Het is enkel bruikbaar voor verwarmingssystemen die gebruik maken van warm water, bij voorkeur op lage temperaturen (beneden 60°C),
• Het is voornamelijk interessant voor processen waarvoor het hele jaar door warmte nodig is.

Op basis van de vorige criteria hebben we vijf hoofdtypen landbouwproductie geïdentificeerd die mogelijk geschikt zijn voor STE:

1. Witvlees kalverhouderijen die warm water gebruiken voor de voederproductie (gereconstitueerde melk),
2. Melkveebedrijven en in het bijzonder melkveebedrijven die melk op de boerderij verwerken,
3. Varkensbedrijven, met name kraamafdelingen en afdelingen na het spenen,
4. Verwarmde kassen: tuinbouw en tuinbouw,
5. Vleeskuikenbedrijven.

Interviews met boeren en vertegenwoordigers van de verschillende landbouwtechnische centra maakten het mogelijk om voor elk van deze gebieden de meest relevante cases te specificeren. Ten slotte hebben we in elk land economische studies van de sector geproduceerd welke ons in staat stellen om het aantal thermische zonne-installaties te evalueren dat mogelijk kan worden ingezet op boerderijen.

Het blijkt dat 3 doelsectoren eruit springen in onze vijf landen:

1. Melkveebedrijven met meer dan 100 koeien in Frankrijk, België, Groot-Brittannië, Ierland en Nederland,
2. Vleeskalverhouderijen in Frankrijk, België en Nederland,
3. Kassen vorstvrij of bij lage temperaturen gehouden in Frankrijk en Groot-Brittannië.

Gezien deze gegevens nadert het aantal mogelijke zonne-installaties bijna 30.000 potentieel interessante bedrijven.

Het volledige marktanalyserapport tracht deze potentiële vooruitzichten met betrekking tot STE in het landbouwgebied te beoordelen en te verkennen, met een diepgaande focus op de 5 doelsectoren van groot belang.

Het geeft een relevant overzicht van prominente veldmaterialen en visies op STE optimale toepassing in de landbouw; het zal worden aangevuld met verschillende casestudies en verder onderzoek om de ideale specificaties nauwkeuriger te specificeren om de overlap goed aan te pakken.

 Lees hier de Marktanalyse

Journal Articles

Julien GAMBADE, Hervé NOËL, Patrick GLOUANNEC, Anthony MAGUERESSE (2022). In-situ assessment of a solar vacuum tube collectors installation dedicated to hot water production.  Energy Reports, Volume 8, Supplement 15, 2022, Pages 605-615, ISSN 2352-4847, link

Julien GAMBADE, Hervé NOËL, Patrick GLOUANNEC, Anthony MAGUERESSE (2022). Modelling of "Water-in-glass" Solar Water Heaters Installation IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1050 012004 link

Julien GAMBADE, Hervé NOËL, Patrick GLOUANNEC, Anthony MAGUERESSE (2021). Estimation of the efficiency of evacuated tubes solar collectors for hot water production https://doi.org/10.25855/SFT2021-029 link

Presentations

Julien GAMBADE, Hervé NOËL, Patrick GLOUANNEC, Anthony MAGUERESSE (2022).

Parametric study and long-term prediction of the production of a solar water heaters installation.  

REEE 2023, Brest, France. August 23-25 2023 presentation

In our factsheets, we explore different agricultural practices in the five partner countries in North-West Europe and their potential for utilising Solar Thermal Energy to heat water on that particular farm.

Factsheet 1: Agriculture in North-West Europe and its potential for Solar Thermal Energy application pdf

Factsheet 2: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal Energy in British Agriculture and which sectors would benefit the most pdf

Factsheet 3: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal Energy in Flemish Agriculture and which sectors would benefit the most pdf

Factsheet 4: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal Energy in French Agriculture and which sectors would benefit the most pdf

Factsheet 5: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal Energy in Irish Agriculture and which sectors would benefit the most pdf

Factsheet 6: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal Energy in Dutch Agriculture and which sectors would benefit the most pdf

Factsheet 7: looks at details of dairy 🥛 sector in the United Kingdom and the potential uses of STE on dairy farms pdf

Factsheet 8: delves into the potential uses of solar thermal in the Greenhouse sector of French agriculture and how STE could be used with other RE technologies pdf

Factsheet 9: looks at the potential uses of solar thermal in the Flanders region of Belgium where hot watrer is required to mix feed for calves. pdf

Factsheet 10: looks at how solar thermal could be used on calf rearing farms in the Netherlands where over 1 million calves are reared annually pdf 

Factsheet 11: looks at how #solarthermal could be used on calf rearing farms in France where hot water is used to clean Milking Parlours & Milk Storage and make calf feed  pdf

Factsheet 12: looks at the potential uses of Solar Thermal on the approximate 18000 Dairy 🐄 farms in Ireland where hot water is need for cleaning equipment pdf

Factsheet 13: examines how Solar Thermal could be used on the greenhouse sector in the UK when additional heat may be needed pdf

Factsheet 14: examines how Solar Thermal could be used dairy sector in France where there are over 3000 diary farms with onsite processing, producing their own milk🥛, cheese 🧀 and other dairy products. pdf

Factsheet 15: examines how Solar Thermal could be used in the dairy sector in The Netherlands where 17000 companies produce 881 million Kg of cheese 🧀 and 15 billion litres of milk🥛 annually.  pdf

Factsheet 16: examines how #SolarThermal could be used in the dairy sector in the Flanders region where 5600+ farms produced about 3 billion litres of milk🥛 in 2019, 32% of the EU total. pdf

Factsheet 17: looks at the pig 🐷 nursery in #France where there is a requirement to keep piglets warm (about 34°C) for the first 2 weeks and reducing slowly for next 4-6 weeks. pdf

Below are a series of case studies of simulated models on the use of solar thermal on various types of farms in different locations across the North West Europe region.

Each simulation uses different kinds of financial interventions to forecast savings. Other factors used to prepare the calculations include various types of energy used to heat the water, the cost of the energy source, etc. Each case study will calculate the CO₂ and energy costs saved on the theoretical farm. Where we mention the number of panels, we are referring to the picture below which is ground mounted and uses about 3m², so a 5-panel system will cover 15m² of land.

French Case Studies

Simulations

Case study # 1: we use a 100-cow  🐮 dairy farm in Pays de la Loire, France  that needs up to 700l of water In to clean milking parlours and milk storage tanks at a temperature of 70°C twice a day, where electricity 🔌 is used to heat water pdf

Case study # 2: we use a 370 calf-rearing farm in Pays de la Loire, France that needs 1300L/day to make calf feed, where propane gas is used at present. Using 7 STE panels, the farm could save over 7️⃣ tonnes of CO₂ annually pdf

Case study # 3: we use a 10,000m² greenhouse in Haut-de-France that needs extra heating and uses natural gas before installation. By installing 250 panels, there could be savings of €100,000 annually (based on 2021 prices) pdf

Case study # 4: we use a pig 🐖 farm in Pays de la Loire, France with 190 sows. Over 4300 piglets are reared annually. There is a heat requirement in the maternity and postweaning buildings. 5 panels would cost €30k with a return on investment in 11 years. pdf 

Field Applications

Case study # 5: we use a pig🐷 farm in Pays de la Loire, France with 190 sows. over 4300 piglets are reared annually. There is a heat requirement in the maternity and postweaning buildings. 5 panels would cost €30k with a return on investment in 11 years pdf

Case study # 6: examines the heating requirement of an existing calf rearing farm in France which needs around 184 375 kWh annually to heat water. The case study calculates that to achieve > 50% reduction on propane use, 4 STE panels would be required, saving the owner €8000 (2021 prices) in the first year of operation. pdf

Case study # 7: This example focus on a holding set in Brittany (France). This farm currently hosts around 200 cows 🐮 producing 1.8 Millions litres of milk 🥛 a year, for which it needs around 79269 kWh of energy supply per year in order to clean the milking parlours and tanks, plus processing on farm. pdf 

Complementary examples (Brittany)

Case study # 8: This real-life example focuses on a holding set in Le Mans (France). This farm currently hosts around 70 cows🐄 for which it needs 13 762 kWh of energy ⚡ supply per year in order to clean the milking parlours and tanks. pdf

Case study # 9: This real-life example focuses on a farm in Sarthes county (France). This farm currently hosts around 400 calves twice a year, for which it needs around 90,068 kWh of energy supply per year in order to feed the calves with heated milk (powder + hot water). To achieve a 50% reduction in energy costs, at least 11 STE panels should be installed. pdf

Case study # 10: This real-life example focuses on a holding set in Brittany (France). This farm currently owns a herd of 44 sows for maternity & 264 places for post-weaning, for which it needs around 78,215 kWh of energy supply per year in order to heat the buildings where the pigs are hosted. Read to find out what savings could be made over 20 years. pdf 

Flemish Case Studies

Simulations

Case study # 11: This example focuses on a farm without on-site processing. The assumption is that there is a herd of 200 cows🐮 which needs 24,623 kWh of energy supply per year in order to clean its milking parlours and milk tanks. Read to find out how many STE panels would need to be installed and how long it would take to make a return on investments.  pdf 

Case study # 12: This example focuses on a farm set in Flanders. The assumptions are that it owns a herd of 600 calves🐄 for which it needs 246,461 kWh of energy supply per year in order to prepare the food for the calves. To achieve a 51% reduction in energy costs, 25 STE panels would need to be installed. Read to find out the costs of installation and how long before the installation will pay for itself.  pdf

Dutch Case Studies

Simulations

Case study # 13:  This example looks at a farm in The Netherlands with a herd of 140 cows for which it needs 16 757 kWh/year for an anaerobic digester to process the produced manure. The anaerobic digester has a heat demand that can be supplied in part by STE which will heat water to 58°C to keep the manure at 38°C for digestion to be efficient. To achieve a 65% reduction in the use of natural gas, 2 STE panels would need to installed. pdf

Case Study # 14:  This example focuses on a calf rearing farm without on-site processing and set in Overijssel, Netherlands. It is assumed that there is a herd of 871 calves, constantly rotating with a 10 week growth cycle, for which hot water is used to prepare powdered milk. Natural Gas is used to heat water to make feed producing 76,606 kWh per year. To achieve a 50% reduction of Natural gas use, 7 STE panels should be installed.  pdf

British Case Studies

Simulations

Case Study # 15: In this academic example looks at a dairy farm, without on-site Processing and set in the county of Lincolnshire. It is assumed that there is a herd of 175 cows for which it needs around 43,091 kWh of energy supply per year in order to clean its milking parlours and milk tanks. Hot water is needed twice daily at 85°C and electricity is used for the heating process. To achieve a 57% reduction in energy costs, 7 STE panels should be installed. pdf 

Case Study # 16: This example focuses on a typical but fictional horticultural 🍓 🌼 farm set in the county of Lincolnshire, UK. It isassumed that the area of the greenhouse is 6,070m² for which it needs around 637,379 kWh of energy supply per year in order to heat it. Electricity is used to heat the buildings costing £0.189 (2020 prices) producing 148059 Kg CO₂ annually. To achieve a 50% reduction in energy costs, 73 STE panels (covering 300m²) would have to installed. Read to see what the savings will be over 20 years. pdf

Irish Case Studies

Simulation

Case Study # 17: This academic example focuses on a dairy farm without on-farm processing and is located in County Roscommon. The assumptions are that it owns a herd of 90 cows for which it needs aroundb 34,970 kWh of energy supply per year in order to clean its milking parlours and milk tanks. To achieve a 50% reduction in heating costs, 4 panels would need to be constructed. Without a subsidy, this plant will cost approximatley €25,000 to construct🏗️ . This plant with pay for itself in less than 7 years and over 30 years generate savings over €100,000 from using less fossil fuels. If a Government subsidy of €6000 were introduced in Ireland, the plant would pay for itself in 5 years. pdf

In a series of short interviews, Liqun Feng, president of FengTech, explains how he got into the solar thermal industry and how the project has benefitted his company. 

Part 1: Liqun explains his background.

Part 2: Liqun explains his motivation to get into Solar Thermal. 

Part 3: What motivated him to start his business?

Part 4: What did you learn from this business start-up? 

Part 5: What is the purpose of FENGTECH company? How does she stand out? 

Part 6: How did you find yourself participating in a European project? 

Part 7: What has participation in European projects brought you?