Page 20 - Energize March 2022

NEWS

Electrified vegetation-maintenance in

solar parks receives government funding

usqvarna, the pioneer in manually operated mowers that are used in many solar parks today, with solutions that are
autonomous lawncare solutions autonomous and electric. The project further aims to explore how this new technology for
Hand robotic lawn mowing, has lawn care can help boost the production of solar energy as well as promote biodiversity. An
joined forces with solar energy provider important part of this is the creation and validation of appropriate maintenance plans for
Alight and SLU (Swedish University of what zones to mow, when and how often, to set best practice for vegetation management.
Agricultural Sciences) in a pilot project “We are excited to participate in this pilot, as it is very much in line with our own ambitions
that aims to develop sustainable solutions for the coming years – to help our customers make more sustainable choices by offering a
for vegetation maintenance in solar parks, broader range of products that are electrified, smart and autonomous. We are excited to
by replacing machines run on fossil fuels test some of our latest innovations in the field next year, together with such knowledgeable
with battery driven innovations. partners as Alight and SLU”, says Glen Instone, the president of Husqvarna Division.
The project, which is the first of its The pilot kicked-off in August 2021 and will run until December 2022 at one of Alight´s
kind, has received over 4-million SEK solar parks in the South of Sweden. The project´s different phases consist of knowledge
(almost R7-million) in funding from building, implementation, execution and evaluation. The implementation of Husqvarna´s
Vinnova (Sweden’s Innovation Agency). autonomous solution for mowing the solar park will happen in the spring 2022.
Husqvarna Forest & Garden is a division Researchers at SLU will collect data on site during the whole trial period to gather insights
within Husqvarna Group. linked to biodiversity.
Over the past 25 years, Husqvarna “For a sustainable and fossil free future we need not only a rapid transition and addition
has been an innovation leader in the of new renewable energy, but also that the industry applies tech innovations to replace
development of robotic lawn mowers work machines run on fossil fuels with electrified machines. I am very proud to set bold
and other electrified solutions for green ambitions for green innovation by testing new solutions in partnerships with industry leaders
space management. As part of the pilot like Husqvarna and having researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
project with Alight and SLU, Husqvarna evaluating and qualifying the results. The solar energy industry is growing rapidly, and we hope
will develop new electric and autonomous the results can be applied across the industry to optimize the management of solar parks from
solutions for lawncare, to help improve the both an economic and environmental point of view”, says Harald Överholm, CEO of Alight.
sustainability of vegetation management “Within this project we are developing new knowledge in an exciting, rapidly growing
in solar parks. The maintenance of field together with leading industry partners. We will likely see a continued expansion of
vegetation in solar parks is key for efficient solar parks in Sweden and it is therefore important to find ways to manage vegetation at
energy production, as vegetation shading a reasonable cost at the same time as achieving high energy production and sustained
the panels can lead to production falls. ecosystem service provision such as biodiversity”, says Tobias Emilsson, researcher at SLU.
The aim of the project is to help
replace the diesel powered and Contact Karin Tångstedt, Husqvarna, karin.tangstedt@husqvarnagroup.com

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