The SOLARWINE project, led by INNOVI, the Catalan Wine Cluster, was presented on 8 April during the event “Exchange of experiences between Operational Groups and Innovative Projects: wine sector”, organised by the CAP Network, which belongs to the Subdirectorate-General for Agricultural Policy Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with the collaboration of INNOVI.

The meeting, held at VINSEUM in Vilafranca del Penedès, brought together members of Operational Groups, innovative projects, research centres, companies, cooperatives and other rural stakeholders linked to agri-food innovation. The aim of the event was to promote knowledge exchange, increase the visibility of the results of projects developed within the framework of EIP-Agri and generate new connections between initiatives working to address the current challenges of the wine sector.

In this context, INNOVI presented the main lines of action of the cluster and introduced SOLARWINE, a project that integrates photovoltaic energy, agrivoltaic technology and Agriculture 4.0 to promote more sustainable, efficient and climate-resilient wine production.

Under its full title, “New agrivoltaic systems for smart and sustainable vine production”, SOLARWINE is an Operational Group whose objective is to validate, in a demonstrative way and under real conditions, an innovative solution based on the combination of elevated solar panels, sensors, digital monitoring and Agriculture 4.0 tools applied to vine growing.

The project aims to contribute to more efficient management of water, nutritional and phytosanitary resources, as well as to greater production uniformity and the optimisation of vineyard quality and productivity. At the same time, the integration of renewable energy in vineyards makes it possible to reduce the carbon footprint and offer new economic benefits to winegrowers through solar energy generation.

During the event, participants were also able to learn more about the project through a visit to the SOLARWINE pilot at Bodegas Torres, located in the Mas Rabell organic vineyard in Sant Martí Sarroca, in the Penedès region. This facility is one of the two agrivoltaic pilots launched by the Operational Group, with a total experimental area of nearly 2,000 m².

The first pilot, located at Familia Torres’ Mas Rabell vineyard, covers an area of 1,000 m². The second has been installed in Huerto Tornasol’s organic vineyards of the Bobal variety in Fuentealbilla, Albacete, covering more than 900 m². The location of the two pilots in areas with different climatic conditions will make it possible to obtain comparative data and more robust conclusions on the impact of agrivoltaics on vine cultivation.

The facilities consist of solar panel structures raised to a height of 5 metres, allowing agricultural machinery to pass underneath and ensuring compatibility with regular vineyard operations, including the automation of grape harvesting. In addition, different types of modules have been installed, including opaque and semi-transparent bifacial panels, as well as several panel density scenarios to analyse how different levels of shading may influence vine development.

Another key element of the project is the deployment of a network of soil and climate sensors that will monitor agronomic and energy-related parameters. This monitoring system will provide essential data to assess the effect of agrivoltaics on the microclimate, productivity, efficient use of resources and renewable energy generation.

SOLARWINE is led by INNOVI and involves Familia Torres, Huerto Tornasol and the Energy Cluster of the Valencian Community. The project also includes the collaboration of the technology SME INDEREN, the Wine Technology Platform, INCAVI and Artica Ingeniería e Innovación, which acts as the project’s technical office.

The Operational Group has a budget of 706,696.55 euros and has received funding of 599,938.89 euros under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027, financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Through its participation in this event, SOLARWINE strengthens its role as a demonstrative project to move towards a more sustainable, digitalised and climate-smart viticulture, while also contributing to knowledge transfer and the connection between innovative projects in the wine sector.