In Italy, the topic of agrivoltaics is generally of great importance. However, a distinction must be made between the planning and development of the plants and the pace of implementation: it takes an average of 2-3 years from the approval of a plant to commissioning, which is far too long in times of advancing climate change. Speaking in figures, this means that by 2021 only 34.7 hectares of agrivoltaic systems for 7 megawatts of power had been realized in the whole of Italy.
By way of comparison, almost 2 gigawatts of agrivoltaic systems were installed in China during the same period. However, due to the strong state control, the approval procedure there is much simpler and faster than in Italy and many other European countries. My appeal is therefore: we must become faster! It's not just about approving plants, but above all about simplifying the procedures - and investing massively in grid expansion.
1,1 billion euros for Agri-PV in Italy
The Italian government announced the breakthrough for agrivoltaic projects for 2023, starting with a so-called implementing decree: 1.1 billion euros can be invested in the development of agrivoltaics through special funds from the "Next Generation EU" fund. The purpose of the major funding program is to realize plants with a capacity of 1.04 gigawatts and an expected production of around 1,300 gigawatt hours per year in Italy by 2026.
The declared aim is to reduce the energy supply costs of the agricultural sector, which today accounts for more than 20 percent of operating costs, and to improve the climate and environmental performance of Italian agriculture. This would be equivalent to a reduction of 0.8 million tonnes of CO₂. Specifically, the fund is intended to provide non-repayable grants of up to 40 percent of the plant construction costs, which are defined as "advanced agrivoltaics".
According to the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (INEK), Italy should have 52 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030 to meet Europe's climate neutrality targets. To achieve this value, however, the legal framework in Italy would have to be significantly tightened soon.
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Otherwise, continuous misunderstandings on fundamental issues relating photovoltaics will remain, and further delay the construction of new plants. The distinction between agrivoltaics and ground-mounted photovoltaics, is a good example for an existing misunderstanding: agrivoltaics are PV panels that are mounted on agricultural fields. Ground-mounted plants, on the other hand, are usually built on land that cannot be used for agriculture or can only be used to a limited extent. The double benefit here is that the areas remain natural, which has a very positive effect on biodiversity. Biodiversity is an important resource for our planet, as healthy ecosystems provide us with vital elements. Biodiversity ensures, among other things, clean air, arable land and drinking water.
Income growth of 20% for farmers
Agrivoltaic systems do not seal soils, which is of great importance in times of water shortages. In short, Agrivoltaic plays a central role in combating climate change. With long, very dry summers and increasingly frequent storms farmers in particular are strongly affected by the consequences of this change, as agricultural crops fluctuate increasingly from year to year. These fluctuations can be compensated for by the additional income of a PV system.
As renewable energy sources, PV systems have the potential to directly mitigate the effects of climate change: they do not cause any environmentally harmful emissions - and are currently the cheapest way to generate electricity in the long term.
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In addition, under certain circumstances, photovoltaics can also contribute to an increase in the diversity of animal and plant species. This is the case, for example, of installations in agricultural areas, where biodiversity is generally low, and the installation of photovoltaic systems can help to manage the area in a more natural way. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary that the plants are designed and maintained with special precautions, some of which are specific, and others are more general and aimed at maximising the positive impact on biodiversity.
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An agrivoltaic system can also offer immediate benefits for farmers who operate them on their land: For example, photovoltaic panels protect plants and fruits from high temperatures and water shortages during hot and dry summer months, agrivoltaic systems have been proven to reduce the water footprint of agriculture by up to 70 percent per year. This saves around 5 million litres of water per hectare per year. According to international studies, a farmer can achieve an income growth of up to 20% due to the secondary effects of agrivoltaic use. ENEA studies have also confirmed an increase in the product quality of agricultural products under photovoltaic cover. For example, the "PV shadow" in lemons can lead to significantly larger and juicier fruits.
Foster climate protection and security of supply
Despite these obvious advantages of agrivoltaics, project developers in Italy often experience resistance from the authorities when it comes to approving new installations. The arguments are based on the concepts of landscape protection and the change in land use. However, renewable energies are a very concrete landscape protection, as they make a direct contribution to tackling the energy and climate crisis.
At CCE, we believe that rural photovoltaics can be an infrastructure that supports both the agricultural landscape and agriculture. However, tailor-made solutions are required in each case, as the Italian geography is very diverse. There is potential for large-scale agrivoltaic systems throughout Italy due to the climatic conditions - which makes agrivoltaics a great opportunity and a beacon of hope for climate protection and security of supply. (S. Esposito/hcn)
