Protect your crops, generate energy
Solar climate shelter
Mexens designs and fully funds your solar-powered climate shelters, including the vine or fruit tree seedlings. Our agrivoltaic shade structures protect your plots from hail, frost and extreme heat, whilst generating local renewable energy. A turnkey project requiring no investment on your part.
Climate protection
No investment required
Suitable for mechanisation
Agrivoltaic shade structures with hail nets: stop making these investments
A solar climate shelter, also known as an agrivoltaic shade structure for orchards or vineyards, is a photovoltaic structure installed above perennial crops to protect them from adverse weather conditions whilst generating renewable electricity.
Solar panels are mounted on metal structures several metres high, allowing agricultural machinery to pass underneath and enabling farming activities to continue as normal. The panels create a protective microclimate: they mitigate the impact of hail, limit damage caused by frost or heatwaves, and reduce heat stress during extreme weather events.
These structures can also serve as supports for anti-hail nets or alt’carpo, which are provided as part of the project. Partial shading also reduces evapotranspiration, thereby lowering irrigation requirements. Furthermore, the metal structures provide an ideal support for attaching your drip irrigation systems, simplifying the installation of the irrigation system.
Installing agrivoltaic shade structures costs the farmer nothing. Mexens finances 100% of the project through a third-party investment model. The investment is recouped through the sale of the renewable electricity generated over the course of the lease.
For the operator, there are three key benefits:
- No impact on cash flow: you benefit from a protection scheme without having to take out a loan.
- A potential source of additional income: depending on the project, there is the possibility of receiving an annual rent.
- Funding for plants: Mexens covers the cost of purchasing vine or fruit tree saplings for your new plot.
The benefits for your project
Climate protection
Our agrivoltaic shade structures act as a shield against the adverse weather conditions that threaten your crops.
- Hail mitigation using panels
- Reducing heat stress and sunburn during heatwaves
- Protection against radiative freezing through the blanket effect
- Reduction in irrigation requirements of up to 30%
Economical
Modernise your crop protection without straining your cash flow.
- 100% funding by Mexens (no investment required)
- Potential to receive annual rent, depending on the project
- Cost of plants (vines or fruit trees) included
- Coverage for hail nets
Agricultural
A microclimate optimised for the quality and productivity of your crops.
- Partial shade is beneficial for many fruit-bearing species
- Independent agronomic monitoring over a 20-year period
- Support structures for securing drip irrigation systems
- Preserving the agricultural character of the plot
Working conditions
Improve your day-to-day comfort on the farm.
- Work in the shade in summer, sheltered from the rain
- Structures suitable for the passage of agricultural machinery
Are you eligible?
Are you a farmer?
Our agrivoltaic shade structures are tailored to your crops.
Relevant profiles
Tree surgeon
Winegrowers
Nursery growers
Soft fruit growers
Arable Crops
Technical requirements
Owning or managing a plot of land undergoing replanting that is larger than 2 hectares
To have a construction project covering more than 1.5 hectares
Mexens covers all the costs
associated with your project
Mexens is responsible for and takes full responsibility for the entire lifecycle of your power plant.
The group designs and engineers all its installations in-house
Planning permission, surveyor, solicitor
Foundations, structure, roofing, connections; financial assistance for establishing the orchard; hail nets, windbreak nets
As members of Soren, we handle the collection, transport and recycling of panels
Removal of photovoltaic modules
Operational management of the plant and financial management of operations; agronomic monitoring over a 20-year period
Why choose Mexens?
Contact usOur expertise
Mexens (formerly Technique Solaire), an independent French company founded in 2008, currently operates more than 1,200 solar, wind and biogas power plants in France and abroad. We design bespoke solutions that respect agricultural practices and enhance the local environment.
Our know how
We manage every aspect of your project: design, financial engineering, legal and administrative procedures, construction, operation and maintenance. You focus on your crops; we take care of everything else.
Discover our other solar and renewable energy solutions
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Mexens covers 100% of the investment: feasibility studies, construction, administrative procedures, planning permission, as well as the vine or fruit tree saplings. You pay nothing out of pocket and, depending on the project, may receive an annual rent.
Mexens will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the power station for the entire duration of the lease. You will not need to carry out any work on the energy-related aspects.
Our structures are custom-designed to suit your crop varieties, mechanisation and cultivation practices. For orchards and vineyards, our shade structures are available only for the renewal or creation of new plots (they cannot be installed on plots already in production). The shading ratio is tailored to each project, and independent agronomic monitoring allows parameters to be adjusted over time.
A minimum of 2 hectares of agricultural land is required. Each project is tailored to the specific layout of the site.
Yes. The structure preserves the conditions for outdoor cultivation and the agricultural character of the plot. It complies with the specifications for organic farming.
Do you have any other questions?
Contact our teamsAre you interested in our solar-powered climate-controlled shelter?
Request a free quote by filling in this form.
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