EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Novera is a smart agrivoltaics system designed to support Austria’s winegrowing industry in meeting the challenges of climate change, energy volatility, and sustainable agriculture. By combining elevated photovoltaic panels with modular infrastructure for irrigation and environmental control, Novera enables vineyard operators to reduce energy costs, increase crop resilience, and profit from an additional revenue stream — all without disrupting traditional farming operations.

Goal

The goal of this project was to develop and validate a viable business model for Novera as a dual-purpose infrastructure system for vineyards. The system aims to address key pain points identified in the Austrian viticulture sector: energy cost spikes, water stress, and climate-related yield risks. Beyond technical feasibility, the project focused on customer desirability, financial viability, and market entry strategy — with a special focus on regional scalability and long-term profitability.

Methodology

Following a lean start-up and customer-centric approach, the team combined field research, engineering prototyping, and economic modeling. Key activities included:

• Expert interviews with vineyard operators and cooperatives.

• Development of a modular prototype.

• Quantitative user survey to validate interests and constraints.

• Financial modeling based on realistic installation costs, energy prices, and subsidy structures.

These methods ensured that the solution was not only technically sound but also aligned with user needs and market dynamics.

Results

Novera has demonstrated strong technical and economic potential through detailed system design, field-informed simulations, and stakeholder validation. Based on conservative calculations, the system could enable up to 60% vineyard coverage without yield loss, generating over €100,000 in annual electricity revenue per hectare.

Surveyed vineyard operators confirmed strong interest, especially in the system’s ability to lower energy costs, protect against extreme weather, and integrate with existing machinery and irrigation methods. Novera’s modular, elevated design makes it uniquely suited to Austria’s sloped vineyards and adaptable to orchards and other permanent crops.

Looking ahead, pilot deployments are planned in Lower Austria, with expansion targeted across the CEE region. Future iterations will include integrated sensor systems, automated irrigation, and optional digital services — establishing Novera as a scalable platform for climate-resilient agriculture.

Cooperation Partner

• Novera Systems - novera-systems.webflow.io

Contact Person

• Niclas Brandner - Niclas.brandner@tuwien.ac.at

Student Team

• Jonas Bachner
  Niclas Brandner
  Matéo Masini
  Patricia Marculet
  Mathias Rizy
  Jakob Sadar

Project Manager

• Caroline Kunesch, M.Sc.

• Diana Lauer, M.Sc.

• Thomas Pannermayr, M.Sc.

• Dipl.-Ing. Dragos Vasilescu