The floating photovoltaic plant
Commissioned in 2019, this floating photovoltaic plant of 2,500 m² was installed on the irrigation reservoir of Madone, managed by SMHAR (Syndicat Mixte d’Hydraulique Agricole du Rhône), at the centre of a site accessible by the public.
This plant illustrates the integration of renewable energies within other activities, in this case agriculture. The energy produced by the 630 photovoltaic panels supplies the irrigation pumps in self-consumption mode to provide water to fields at greater altitude. The water is therefore pumped using less costly energy produced locally and of renewable origin.
Its annual production is estimated at 250 MWh, corresponding to the annual electricity consumption of three irrigation pumps for the reservoir or about 57 households, all while avoiding the emission of 36 tons of CO₂ a year.
Its goals
- Produce renewable local energy without affecting farmland.
- Promote sustainable agriculture by integrating renewable energy fully in the irrigation network.
- Perpetuate and protect the aquatic population by installing shelters for fish and by carrying out environmental scientific monitoring.
- Illustrate energy transition by explaining the system’s operation thanks to a pedagogic circuit.
- Integrate solar energy in a global, innovative and shared project.
- Make the users of the reservoir aware of renewable energies and the biodiversity of sites.
Fish shelters below the platform
To stimulate the aquatic population, 16 fish spawning areas and nurseries have been installed under the floating platform.
The principle consists in providing young fish with a protective habitat while waiting to reach a size enabling them to escape predators and thus contribute to efficiently increasing adult populations.
The artificial habitats installed bestow the ecological function of nursery and spawning grounds to the platform, beneficial for the reproduction and development of aquatic species.
An innovative installation in the service of the environment
The floating photovoltaic power plant participates in exploiting the existing irrigation network and gives a place to renewable energy in the agricultural sector.
Covering only 4% of the reservoir, the 230 kWp of installed solar power capacity produces as much electricity as the 3 irrigation pumps consume in one year.
Water is therefore pumped with less costly energy of renewable origin produced locally!
Monitoring animal biodiversity
The ISARA (Institut Supérieur d’Agriculture Rhône-Alpes) has carried out a physiochemical analysis of the reservoir and monitoring of the aquatic fauna. CNR completed these studies by setting up environmental DNA monitoring of the reservoir. The first conclusions in 2019 confirmed the interest of installing spawning grounds and nurseries. Further monitoring campaigns will allow adapting the spawning installations and their functions if necessary.
Monitoring of the activity of chiroptera (bats) and avian fauna around this solar power plant was also started in 2020, to determine the interactions between the installation and flying fauna.
Floating photovoltaic park on Lake Madone Durée : 3:40 min