Brite Solar, a company specializing in nanomaterial development, has taken a significant step forward with the opening of its new factory in Patras, Greece. This facility is Europe’s first manufacturing center exclusively dedicated to agrivoltaic panels, enabling the company to deliver large-scale clean energy solutions for agriculture.

“Our new factory marks a milestone for the company, as it allows us to supply Agri-PV panels worldwide with nanotechnology coatings that enhance photosynthetically active radiation for crops,” explains Nick Kanopoulos, CEO of Brite Solar, in an interview with Strategic Energy Europe.

With an initial annual production capacity of 150 MWp, the plant will enable Brite Solar to supply agrivoltaic solutions for greenhouses and open-field crops, support large-scale projects, and expand into new markets. The factory is already operational and will deploy over 20 MWp of agrivoltaic panels in 2025.

Nick Kanopoulos, CEO of Brite Solar

“We plan to double this capacity in the coming months and surpass 300 MW through manufacturing agreements with strategic partners,” Kanopoulos reveals.

This investment reflects the rapid growth of the agrivoltaic market, a key sector in energy transition and agricultural modernization. The executive emphasizes that this is a major advancement for the Agri-PV industry, providing a solution that optimizes both agricultural production and energy generation without compromising either.

“We hope this feature will help expand the Agri-PV market by eliminating farmers’ concerns over potential crop yield reductions, and consequently, their income,” he adds.

Establishing an agrivoltaic panel manufacturing plant in Europe is a significant challenge, considering competition from Chinese manufacturers and the trend of declining module prices.

In this regard, Kanopoulos states: “Setting up a solar panel factory in Europe, especially in Greece, involves multiple challenges, such as the business environment, access to capital investments, and permitting processes.”

However, the decision was driven by a crucial technological need: there was no existing production line worldwide capable of applying nanomaterials to glass and assembling the panels simultaneously, making it essential to develop its own infrastructure.

“Our location in Patras offers strategic advantages such as proximity to key European markets, shorter supply chains, and eligibility for EU sustainability incentives,” he adds.

Pane Power: The key technology in agrivoltaics

The core of Brite Solar’s offering is Pane Power, its innovative semi-transparent solar panel technology, which uses nanomaterials that absorb UV light and reemit it in the red spectrum, where plants perform photosynthesis. This enables energy production without compromising agricultural productivity.

“Our solar panels are semi-transparent, and their level of transparency is specifically adapted to the crops, ensuring that harvest yields are not negatively affected,” explains Kanopoulos. This feature allows the panels to be installed directly over crops, providing additional benefits such as:

Protection against adverse weather conditions (hail, frost, droughts).
Water use optimization, enabling rainwater collection and storage.
Increased crop yields, thanks to UV light absorption and reemission in the red spectrum, optimizing photosynthesis.

This technology sets Pane Power apart from traditional solar panels, which must be installed away from crops or between crop rows, limiting their effectiveness in sustainable agriculture.

“This is not possible with opaque conventional panels, as they would drastically affect agricultural production. This is why traditional solar panels are installed vertically between crop lines, which does not represent a true Agri-PV solution. The maximum installed power of our panels depends on their transparency level (there is an inverse relationship between transparency and power output),” states Brite Solar’s CEO.

At the solar cell level, the company uses bifacial Topcon N-type cells. “Only translucent panels can be used in agricultural projects without negatively impacting crop yields when installed directly over them,” he adds.

Kanopoulos confirms that market demand for this type of technology is growing, with expanding partnerships and pilot projects in multiple regions. “Market demand is steadily increasing. We have shifted from installing kilowatt (KW) projects to megawatt (MW) projects,” he points out.

Greenhouse Ornamental (Netherlands)

Greenhouse Gosi Tomatos Drosero Ptolemaidas Greece

Global Expansion: The Next Step for Brite Solar

The agrivoltaic market has experienced exponential growth, driven by the need for sustainable agricultural solutions.

To strengthen its global presence, Brite Solar has developed an ambitious expansion plan that includes:

Increasing production capacity from 150 MWp to over 300 MWp within the next 16 months.
New agreements with OEM manufacturers to expand into strategic markets.
Developing projects in Europe, North America, and Asia, with a growing distribution network.
Exploring new applications of Pane Power technology in urban environments and commercial buildings.

Greenhouse Gosi Tomatos Drosero Ptolemaidas Greece

The Role of Agrivoltaics in Energy Transition

The agricultural sector accounts for 14% of global energy consumption, and agrivoltaics is emerging as a key solution for decarbonization. “Industry players are increasingly recognizing the potential of agrivoltaics. The combination of protection against adverse weather, rainwater collection and management, and clean energy production on the same land plot is convincing more farmers to replace traditional measures, such as hail nets, with Agri-PV solutions,” explains the company’s CEO.

He also highlights that policymakers are beginning to acknowledge the potential of this technology, both at the EU level and nationally.

Greece, with its intense solar radiation and strong agricultural sector, presents ideal conditions for agrivoltaic adoption. The Greek government has announced an ambitious €300 million agricultural modernization program, emphasizing and incentivizing the adoption of Agri-PV in both greenhouses and open-field crops.

“Brite Solar is well-positioned to benefit from this program,” Kanopoulos emphasizes.

Despite the market’s growth, agrivoltaic adoption still faces significant barriers. One of the main challenges is raising awareness and educating the industry.

“It is crucial that stakeholders—including farmers, policymakers, and investors—fully understand the benefits of agrivoltaics,” states Kanopoulos. To tackle this, Brite Solar has implemented educational programs and demonstrations in pilot projects.

Another obstacle is regulatory uncertainty. In many regions, current policies are not yet adapted to agrivoltaics, making project implementation difficult. Additionally, in the European Union, the permitting and grid connection processes can delay the sector’s expansion.

With innovative technology, a growing market, and a solid expansion strategy, Brite Solar is positioned to lead the development of agrivoltaics worldwide, helping to bridge the gap between energy production and sustainable agriculture.