Growing vegetables under the solar roof.
Efficient water supply through drip irrigation.
Mounting structure with installed PV solar panels.
The installation of the solar-PV system.
The completed 1 MW solar-PV system in Antsirabe.
The solar-PV system in Antsirabe, expanded to 2 MW.

Summary

Total savings :approx. 1,500 tonnes CO₂ per year
Technology transfer :Generation of clean electricity through solar panels in combination with efficient, ecological agriculture
Local environment :Increasing the share of renewable energy in Madagascar's electricity grid
Further advantages :Reduces the dependency on fossil fuels, training centre for ecological food production and solar energy, job creation for construction, operation and maintenance of the Food & Energy system and the training centre
Project partners :SUNfarming Madagascar SARL

Greenhouses that produce solar power

Madagascar is the largest island state in Africa and the fourth largest island in the world. At the equivalent of 400US$ per year, annual gross national income per capita is far below the average of other Sub-Saharan African states ¹. Only about a quarter of the people have access to electricity ². Madagascar is one of the sunniest countries in the world with around 3000 hours of sunshine per year, making it ideal for solar energy. Solar installations on greenhouses also enable better production possibilities in agriculture, by means of intelligent irrigation methods.

Modern drip irrigation via solar energy

The installed solar capacity of our solar-PV system now amounts 2MWp, which under the given solar irradiation values in Madagascar, is expected to result in an annual electricity production of approx. 2,500,000 kWh and CO₂ emission reductions of approx. 1,500 tonnes.

An important part of the plant is the agricultural component. Farmers will be able to grow high-quality vegetables based on optimized drip irrigation, which is up to 90% more efficient than traditional irrigation methods.

Another component of the project is the construction of an on-site training center. It is no coincidence that the facility is located next to the Antsirabe Institute of Higher Education. The center offers train-the-trainer programs for instructors and students of the Faculty of Agriculture. The aim of the institute is to teach methods that help to increase production efficiency, improve water management and expand market access. All stages of cultivation are taught, from growth and fertilizer management to harvesting, packaging and marketing.

Our partner

SUNfarming Madagascar SARL is our local contractor for the construction, operation and maintenance of the plant in Antsirabe. The local company is a subsidiary of the German SUNfarming GmbH, a company that combines solar energy with regional food production.

The financing of the project by atmosfair lowers the risk to such an extent that other investors can also get involved. By bringing the right actors together, we want to create a leverage effect with our invested funds. The success of the project in Antsirabe should serve as an example here.

Your contact at atmosfair

Kevin Möller
Senior Project Developer
Commercial Lawyer, M.A. Philosophy
+49 (0) 30 120 84 80 – 64