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The Caribbean region is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels to generate energy, resulting in higher CO2 emissions and electricity prices of up to 0.40 USD / kWh. These prices prevent growth in many economies in the region and lead to high business costs. Another important issue in the Caribbean is food security, where up to 80% of the food consumed has been imported.

SUNfarming Agro-Solar greenhouses or as modified free-field plants and biofuels made of 100% waste oil (UCO) are combined to form a hybrid system. The same land area is used for the production of food, electricity and heat energy. Jobs will be created in agriculture and in renewable energies. At the same time it serves as a training center for students and interested locals for e.g. Electromobility, photovoltaics and combined heat and power generation and form the technological basis for capacity building, research and technology transfer.
Emissions, energy and food costs are reduced, and future generations will be informed about the benefits of the hybrid system.

The Hybrid Training Center (HTC) is scalable and a turnkey solution that can be deployed throughout the Caribbean. It shows how the production of food, electricity and heat energy can be combined and used permanently on islands where land is limited.
The Hybrid Training Center will demonstrate the conditions for developing an economic model that will contribute to the independence of the Caribbean countries in relation to fossil fuels, the environment and the environment in a model facility dedicated to the topics of SF Food & Energy and fuel efficiency management at bioltec Improving the quality of life of their inhabitants.

Some benefits for society and the environment in numbers:

– 10,000 kWh of solar energy
– 10-15 kg of tomatoes per plant
– Up to 90% water savings
– 40,000 kWh of electricity CHP
– 16,000 liters of UCO converted into biofuel
– 80,000 kWh of thermal energy CHP
– 40 t of CO2 savings
– 95% greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil diesel
– Typically 50% less toxic exhaust gases (with similar NOx)
– Training in hydroponics, PV technology, electromobility and water saving in agriculture
– Local and independent domestic food and energy production

Read some press releases for the opening (German, Spanish):

Deutsche Energie Agentur (dena). Energiewende als Unterrichtsfach: Trainingscenter auf den Bahamas

Topagrar, Pilotprojekt Gewächshaus mit Photovoltaikanlage

Erneuerbare Energien: SUNfarming baut Agrophotovoltaik-Inselanlage auf den Bahamas

pv magazine Lateinamerika (Spanisch): las Bahamas tendra un centro hibrido de fuentes de energia renovable

The SUNfarming/Alensys Solar Training Center South Africa is now in operation since more than 5 years and was realised within a PPP Public Private Partnership program supported by the German DEG/KfW. The most important partner is the North-West University in Potchefstroom.

The SUNfarming Solar Food & Energy Training Centre, already in the 3rd year of operation after completion of the Public Private Partnership, offers training opportunities for students, electricians, teachers from high schools as well as start-up companies and municipal representatives from different regions and departments in South Africa. The training centre, continuously in further expansion for more training opportunities, is in full time operation and delivers fresh vegetables to the North West University Campus, a food store in Potchefstroom (Pick&Pay) as well as several catering service companies.
All SF bio food products with grade A quality are supplied to the prime quality customer Pick&Pay, all secondary quality products are directly marketed by the local SUNfarming trainees and employees in the township locations of Potchefstroom. With this, the employees earn some extra money and thus become small entrepreneurs, partially with own employers already.

The training facility was transferred to our expert skills transfer company SUNCybernetics PTY LTD (SUNCy), under the lead of North West University doctoral student Faure van Schalkwyk. This training company is exclusively used for know-how and skills transfer in the fields of solar technology and food production, operating on a cost covering, non-profit base to ensure constant high quality trainings.
After 6 years of experience, we can confirm the effectiveness of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) with its cooperative structures like DEG/KfW, and German Medium Size Companies, like SUNfarming and Alensys, for a continuous education and training program, as long as the PPP investment is kept in the hand of the German Medium Size Company.

More than 1,000 training sessions have been held so far at the SF Solar Training Center and SF Food & Energy Training Center for participants from across Africa.

Please see our first Solar Training Center marketing video and what participants say:
Newest marketing video Solar Training Center South Africa

The SUNfarming Group has secured a financing framework of 20 million euros for the construction of 40 MWp photovoltaic projects in Poland.

SUNfarming Polska plans to expand the existing solar portfolio in Poland this year with projects to at least 40 MWp. Predominantly, projects will be realized with won auctions from 2017 and 2018.

The first projects to be financed through the acquired line are four photovoltaic plants, each with 1 MWp and a total capacity of 4 MWp, in Ostrołęka. All plants were put into operation in December 2018 and were awarded a contract in the first Polish test tender at the end of 2016.

Another part of the financing is planned for new projects with a total capacity of 5 MWp, which are already in the portfolio of SUNfarming. Three SUNfarming solar parks, each with 1 MWp, are to be built near Łask in Łódź Province, two more solar parks in the province of Lower Silesia near Ząbkowice Śląskie. These projects have won in the tender of June 2017, completion is until 30.06.2019. By winning the tender, all PV parks benefit from a 15-year “contract for differences” with the Polish Energy Agency URE, which guarantees a fixed feed-in tariff for each kWh produced by paying the difference to the market price.

The financing facility of 20 million euros, which was taken up by the SUNfarming Group, is used to finance the construction phase of the existing and planned photovoltaic projects of SUNfarming in Poland and was collateralised at the level of a Polish asset holding company owned by the project companies. SUNfarming was supported by a well-known Financial Advisor from Frankfurt am Main, who was tasked with structuring the transaction and debt sourcing.

“We are pleased to announce the closing of this transaction, which we completed within 6 weeks of the turn of the year. We thank all involved for the efficient and professional cooperation. The bridging line enables us to consistently implement our strategy in Poland and accelerate our international growth. With a planned PV capacity of 1.2 GW by 2020 with currently only about 360 MW of installed capacity, Poland represents an important future market for us, “says Martin Tauschke, Managing Director of SUNfarming GmbH and SUNfarming Polska sp.z.o.o.>

(Editor Hinrich Neumann)
Translation/SUNfarming:
A demonstration plant of the German Energy Agency as well as the two German companies Bioltec Systems GmbH and Sunfarming GmbH will show how food cultivation, energy production and mobility can interact efficiently and sustainably.
The German Energy Agency (Dena) has launched an extraordinary pilot project in its Renewable Energy Solutions program (Dena RES program). In cooperation with the two German companies Bioltec Systems GmbH and Sunfarming GmbH, a training and demonstration center for the German Energy Agency (DMA) has been set up Renewable energy, energy use of waste and sustainable mobility in the Caribbean combined with intelligent control of the overall system.
As a hybrid center, the trend-setting facility combines several technologies: A combined heat and power plant supplies electricity and heat to a school on whose grounds the project was realized. The special feature of this plant is that it is operated with biodiesel. This fuel can be made, for example, from used cooking oil that exists on the island. In addition, this biodiesel will be used to operate specially converted vehicles used in Bahamas waste management.

Electricity for irrigation and vehicles
In addition, a greenhouse with a photovoltaic system was built. On the one hand grow food in it, on the other hand, the greenhouse produces not only the power required for their own drip irrigation, but can also feed into the home network or in the battery system for an emergency power supply. The battery system also serves as a charging station for e-bikes and e-motorcycles. An intelligent controller ensures that such a system can also work in off-grid regions.
The reference plant will produce a total of around 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 80,000 kilowatt hours of heat from renewable energies annually, thus avoiding 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It shows how food cultivation, energy production and mobility can interact efficiently and sustainably, and already serves as a visual aid for teaching environmental management.
Food and energy – the greenhouse and the transport vehicle converted from diesel to biodiesel (Source: Dena)
Original article in topagrar-online/German:

– Henry Ford

In this spirit, we wish you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Health, happiness and much success for the New Year – combined with our heartfelt thanks for your trust!
With festive greetings
Your SUNfarming Team

The municipalities of Reisdorf, Wegleben, Wolmirsleben, Harzgerode, Hennickendorf and Zahna are committed to sustainability with the construction of solar energy systems, thus making a valuable contribution to a regional energy supply. The plants were partly completed in November or EEG compliant completed until 31th of decembre this year, the grid connection is a short time later.
Each 750 kWp plant supplies clean and green electricity for more than 240 households. The CO2 savings per plant are 440,000 kg / year, on average as many as 165 middle-class cars (8l / 100km) emit per year.

“Our range of investors spans the entire breadth, from project development to service and monitoring, all from one source. We have developed a unique quality assurance system for banks and investors. Our PV components are based exclusively on high-quality materials. In addition to the certification by the TÜV Rheinland and the Photovoltaikinstitut Berlin, SUNfarming experts for quality assurance check the module factories unannounced and monitor the production for all technical components according to a particularly strict system.
An average of 7% additional capacity from our systems over the past few years confirms the premium quality of our components, “explains Martin Tauschke, SUNfarming Managing Director.