FR3065353A1 - GREENHOUSE WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a greenhouse (1) for sheltering a cultivable land surface or aboveground crops, said greenhouse comprising a structure (6), said greenhouse comprising a diffusing translucent cover (2) and a plurality of photovoltaic modules (3) disposed below said translucent cover (2).

Description

© Publication no .: 3,065,353 (to be used only for reproduction orders)

©) National registration number: 17 70410 ® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

COURBEVOIE © Int Cl ⁸ : A 01 G 9/22 (2017.01), H 02 S 20/30

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

©) Date of filing: 04.21.17. ©) Priority: © Applicant (s): VOLTINOV VOLTAÏQUE INNOVATION — TR. @ Inventor (s): WEISS LUCAS. ©) Date of availability of the request: 26.10.18 Bulletin 18/43. ©) List of documents cited in the preliminary search report: See the end of this booklet (© References to other related national documents: ® Holder (s): VOLTINOV VOLTAÏQUE INNOVATION. ©) Extension request (s): © Agent (s): HEGE FREDERIC.

(04) GREENHOUSE WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES.

The present invention relates to a greenhouse (1) for housing a surface of cultivable land or crops above ground, said greenhouse comprising a structure (6), said greenhouse comprising a translucent diffusing cover (2) and a plurality of photovoltaic modules ( 3) arranged below said translucent cover (2).

FR 3 065 353 - A1

i

Greenhouse with photovoltaic modules

The present invention is in the field of agriculture. It relates more particularly to a greenhouse, comprising in its interior photovoltaic modules.

It is known to have photovoltaic modules inside a greenhouse.

The document FR3019883 proposes a greenhouse comprising photovoltaic surfaces positioned inside the greenhouse in order to produce electricity while growing plants. The photovoltaic surfaces are separated from each other by a certain spacing, so that certain solar rays reach the crops located in the greenhouse. A dichroic filter can be placed between the photovoltaic surfaces and the cultures, in order to let pass the part of the solar spectrum which optimizes photosynthesis or the growth of plants, and to return the rest of the solar spectrum to the photovoltaic surfaces. However, only the sun's rays passing between the panels can reach the crops. Part of the crops are thus in the shade. The gray areas can cover a large part of the crops if we choose to have a large total surface area of photovoltaic surface in order to maximize energy production. If, on the contrary, crop yields are favored, a small total photovoltaic surface will be installed, to the detriment of energy production. This device therefore does not allow both crop yields and energy production to be optimized.

Document CN204948922 offers a solution to solve the problem of gray areas on crops due to photovoltaic panels. In this document, the panels are placed on the roof of the greenhouse and a light diffuser is integrated into the roof so that the solar rays passing between the photovoltaic panels are diffused and the brightness inside the greenhouse is uniform. In this document, the photovoltaic modules replace the roof of the greenhouse, which often involves complex modifications of greenhouse structures when we want to install these modules on an existing greenhouse.

The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome these drawbacks by proposing a greenhouse in which photovoltaic modules are placed in its upper part and it is possible to have crops on the ground or above ground, said greenhouse comprising a translucent cover diffusing the light so that crops benefit from uniform brightness with a significant reduction in direct shadows due to photovoltaic modules. To this end, it offers a greenhouse to house a surface of cultivable land or crops above ground, said greenhouse comprising a structure. This greenhouse is particular in that it comprises a translucent diffusing cover and a plurality of photovoltaic modules arranged below said cover.

Thanks to these provisions, it is possible to optimize the solar energy received both by the crops and by the photovoltaic modules. In the present application, the term “translucent diffusing cover” is understood as a non-transparent cover transmitting light in a diffuse manner. The solar rays that enter the greenhouse are therefore diffused, and the brightness inside the greenhouse is uniform, the photovoltaic modules do not create direct shadows on the crops, as would be the case with transmitted light. directly and not diffuse, in the case of a transparent glass for example.

According to other characteristics:

said translucent cover can constitute the roof of said greenhouse, which constitutes a simple and inexpensive embodiment; it may be an existing greenhouse with a plastic cover as a roof, this cover constituting the cover; it may be a glass having a diffusing texture as a roof; photovoltaic cells can be installed under such a roof, attached to the structure of the existing greenhouse, said translucent cover can be arranged under the roof of an existing greenhouse, which is a simple way to adapt a conventional greenhouse with transparent roof , to obtain a greenhouse benefiting from the advantages of the invention, said photovoltaic modules can be spaced from one another, so as to allow light to pass between said photovoltaic modules, in order to provide a more constant and distributed light to crops, said plurality of photovoltaic modules can be arranged closer to said translucent cover than to the ground, so that the light which is not picked up by the photovoltaic modules has sufficient space to achieve relative homogeneity in the soil and in the crops, said photovoltaic modules can include two-sided photovoltaic cells, which allows to recover the solar energy reflected by the soil of the greenhouse, by crops or by shade nets;

said greenhouse may include a reflective tarpaulin disposed on the ground, in order to increase the reflection rate of the ground and thus recover more solar energy on the underside of the photovoltaic modules; preferably such a reflective tarpaulin can be placed between crops, in particular during growing periods, to nevertheless allow these crops to receive their share of the sun, said photovoltaic modules can be attached to the structure by means of metal profiles (steel or aluminum), which constitutes a simple embodiment to set up, if necessary on an existing greenhouse structure; preferably, an inclination is given to the photovoltaic modules to maximize the production of electricity and to overcome possible shadows caused by the structure, said photovoltaic modules can be attached to the structure by means of cables, which constitutes a simple embodiment to set up, if necessary on an existing greenhouse structure; this also constitutes a flexible fixing, capable of supporting the movements of the structure due to the wind for example, without risk of damage to the greenhouse or for the photovoltaic modules, said photovoltaic modules can be arranged on an adjustable means, so as to be able optimize their orientation depending on the position of the sun, it is thus possible to vary the orientation of the panels seasonally or throughout the day in order to optimize energy production and / or crop yields.

said orientable means may comprise a fixed bar movable in rotation to the structure and integral with a photovoltaic module, and a jack arranged between said module and a fixed point of the structure, which constitutes a simple and robust embodiment, and easy to be ordered centrally.

Said swiveling means can be actuated manually to allow seasonal positioning.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended figures in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a greenhouse according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of a first method of fixing a photovoltaic module to a greenhouse according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view of a detail of FIG. 2 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of a detail of FIG. 2 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of a second method of fixing a photovoltaic module to a greenhouse according to the invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B represent two stages of operation of means for orienting the photovoltaic modules according to the invention.

Figure 7 is a detail view of Figs. 6A and 6B.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a greenhouse according to the invention.

The greenhouse 1 according to the invention has a cover 2, a photovoltaic module 3 capable of producing electricity from solar radiation, and can include crops 4.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the greenhouse 1 comprises a plurality of photovoltaic modules 3. The number, the size and the density, if necessary the inclination, the orientation, of the modules 3 is to be adapted according to the type of crops 4 and the seasons, or according to the objectives in terms of crop yield 4 and electricity production.

Cover 2 is translucent, capable of diffusing light. Thus the solar radiation reaching greenhouse 1 is diffused as soon as it enters greenhouse 1, and the presence of modules 3 above crops 4 does not generate any shade. Crops 4 benefit from a homogeneous light, which allows an optimized yield.

Cover 2 can constitute the roof of the greenhouse, but can also consist of a tarpaulin arranged under the roof and above the photovoltaic modules.

As illustrated in fig. 1, the incident solar radiation arriving on the cover 2 is very weakly reflected and enters in majority in the greenhouse 1. Then, the solar radiation entering the greenhouse 1 is, for a significant part of this radiation, diffused in all directions at inside the greenhouse 1.

Cover 2 can be rigid, for example made of glass, semi-rigid, for example made of PVC, or even flexible, for example comprising a tarpaulin.

The photovoltaic modules 3 can include two-sided photovoltaic cells. Indeed, the diffusion of light by the cover 2 makes it possible to obtain a uniform brightness inside the greenhouse, which therefore also reaches the underside of the modules 3 by reflection on the floor of the greenhouse. The use of this lower face therefore makes it possible to increase the production of electricity by the modules 3. In this embodiment, it is particularly useful to increase the level of reflection of the greenhouse floor, for example by having it a reflective tarpaulin 5 between cultures. The use of solar energy is thus maximized, because the solar rays directed towards the ground but not reaching the crops 4 are largely returned to the underside of the photovoltaic modules 3.

The greenhouse 1 can be a pre-existing greenhouse, in which photovoltaic modules 3 are installed, by fixing them for example as described below to the existing structure 6 of the greenhouse 1.

As shown in fig. 2, the modules 3 can be supported by metal supports 7, for example steel or aluminum. The supports 7 can be supported by the structure 6 of the greenhouse 1. The supports 7 include metal bars which can be straight or bent, depending on the optimal installation conditions of the modules 3. The modules 3 can then be fixed on the supports 7, for example by pinching, as illustrated in FIG. 3, or by gluing, as illustrated in fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 5, the modules 3 can also be supported by a system of slings comprising cables 8, which can be attached to the structure 6 of the greenhouse 1 by hooks 9. The hooks 9 can be placed at the level of the ridge purlin, struts, ties or any other element of the structure 6 of the greenhouse 1

As illustrated in fig. 6A and 6B, the modules 3 can be installed on orientable means, making it possible for example to integrate them into a system for monitoring the course of the sun. This makes it possible to be able to increase the yield of the modules 3, while reducing the amount of light from which the crops 4 will benefit, or on the contrary to increase the amount of light arriving on the crops by reducing the yield of the modules 3. In the example illustrated in fig. 6A, in the morning, the modules 3 are arranged parallel to the rays of the sun and a large part of the light reaches the crops 4. This makes it possible for example to ensure that the crops 4 make the most of the morning sun, at a time of the day when electricity needs are reduced. In the middle of the day, as illustrated in fig. 6B, the modules 3 can be placed horizontally, perpendicular to the sun's rays. This helps protect crops 4 from excessive sunlight, while maximizing the production of electricity, for example to store it for the evening, when electricity needs are greatest. As illustrated in fig. 7, the modules 3 can for example be placed on a frame 10 movable in rotation about an axis, and a jack 11 can be placed between the structure 6 of the greenhouse 1, and the said frame 10, to vary the tilt. It is possible to provide a centralized control system for all of the jacks 11. Depending on the position of the modules in the greenhouse 1, the variation in inclination may not be the same. For example, as illustrated in fig. 8, for a curved roof, the modules 3 arranged near the middle of the roof, where it is highest, have more space, and can therefore be tilted more than the modules 3 arranged near the edge of the greenhouse 1.

The greenhouse 1 according to the invention allows the photovoltaic modules 3, being inside the greenhouse 1, not to be subjected to external conditions as is the case with a conventional installation in which the panels are installed on the roof of a greenhouse, and have to undergo pressures for example due to wind or snow. The invention, on the contrary, makes it possible to use photovoltaic modules 3 whose mechanical characteristics do not have to take account of the climatic conditions outside the greenhouse.

The production of photovoltaic modules 3 can be adapted to the humidity conditions in the greenhouse. Modules 3 of the bi-glass type can for example be used in place of the usual modules of the glass-backsheet type. The bi-glass structure consists of encapsulating the photovoltaic cells between two glass plates. This structure offers better protection against humidity, and better mechanical behavior.

The encapsulant is generally EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) in the glass-backsheet structures.

For the bi-glass structure, an alternative polyolefin type encapsulant can be used.

The modules 3 can be equipped with optimizers or micro-inverters, in order to maximize their efficiency and prevent yield losses due to the non-uniformity of the radiation on the surface of the greenhouse 1.

The modules 3 can also be equipped with a cooling system by spraying water on their surface. A water recovery system can then be placed near the modules 3, for example to then be used for watering the crops 4. These arrangements can be used for cleaning the modules 3.

The invention can be useful for limiting the amount of light perceived by crops 4, which is necessary depending on the climatic conditions and the type of crops 4, while converting the energy which is not used by crops 4 into electricity.

Although the above description is based on particular embodiments, it is in no way limitative of the scope of the invention, and modifications can be made, in particular by substitution of technical equivalents or by any combination other than any or part of the characteristics developed above.

Claims (10)

1. Greenhouse (1) to house a surface of cultivable land or crops above ground, said greenhouse comprising a structure (6), said greenhouse being characterized in that it comprises a translucent covering (2) diffusing and a plurality of modules photovoltaic (3) arranged below said cover (2). 2. Greenhouse (1) according to the preceding claim wherein said translucent cover (2) constitutes the roof of said greenhouse (1). 3. Greenhouse (1) according to claim 1, wherein said translucent cover (2) is arranged under the roof of an existing greenhouse. 4. Greenhouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said photovoltaic modules (3) are spaced from each other, so as to allow light to pass between said photovoltaic modules (3). 5. Greenhouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said plurality of photovoltaic modules (3) is disposed closer to said translucent cover (2) than to the ground. 6. Greenhouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said photovoltaic modules (3) comprise two-sided photovoltaic cells. 7. Greenhouse according to the preceding claim, comprising a reflective tarpaulin (5) disposed on the ground, preferably said reflective tarpaulin (5) being disposed between crops. 8. Greenhouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said photovoltaic modules (3) are attached to the structure (6) by means of cables (8). 9. Greenhouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said photovoltaic modules (3) are arranged on an adjustable means, so as to be able to optimize their orientation as a function of the position of the sun. 10. Greenhouse (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said orientable means comprises a fixed bar movable in rotation to the structure and integral with a photovoltaic module (3), and a jack (11) disposed between said photovoltaic module (3 ) and a fixed point of the structure (6). 1/2