Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
Energy: More than 800 members joined the National Network for Sustainable Agrivoltaics
More than 800 members have joined the National Network for Sustainable Agrivoltaics after it was launched by ENEA in May 2021 to promote the definition of a regulatory framework for the sector, of tools to support decision-makers and of guidelines to build plants that allow the production of electricity from solar panels while at the same time cultivating the land.
The figure was released as part of the last of the eight events organised by ENEA to take stock of the results achieved, increase synergies between the participating players, compare experiences of initiatives that have been completed or are still under way, share technical-scientific advances and explore industrial, environmental and social policies. The network coordinated by ENEA brings together public institutions, companies, trade associations, researchers and civil society, also with the aim of fostering the dissemination of knowledge and promoting Italian excellence in the fields of new technologies for renewable energy, agriculture and the land, underscoring the crucial role of these systems in the fight against climate change.
“For the development of agrivoltaics, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan envisaged an investment of €1.1 billion to install 1.04 GW of production capacity capable of producing around 1,300 GWh per year, with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 0.8 million tonnes of CO2 and energy supply costs”, emphasised Alessandra Scognamiglio, researcher at the ENEA Innovative Devices Laboratory at the Portici Research Centre and coordinator of the AgrivoltaicoSostenibile@ENEA task force. “This is why we hope that the regulatory framework will become more clear and concise NOW that official guidelines ARE AVAILABLE”.
The multidisciplinary AgrivoltaicoSostenibile@ENEA task force was set up with the aim of fostering knowledge and good practices to implement sustainable solutions, involving two of the Agency's departments – “Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources” and “Sustainability of Production and Territorial Systems” – which have made available a network of laboratories, infrastructure and years of expertise in the fields of agro-industry and green energy technologies.
Sustainable agrivoltaics will also be among the main topics of the World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), the most important international conference on photovoltaics (Milan 26-30 September 2022), which will be led by ENEA, with the researcher Alessandra Scognamiglio in the role of General Chair. As part of the event, prizes will also be awarded to the winning projects of the “Agrivoltaics for Noah's Ark”[1] international competition for the design of the best agrivoltaic garden.
For more information on WCPEC8:
For more information on the first National Sustainable Agrivoltaic Network:
Energy:ENEA launches the first national network for sustainable agrivoltaics
For more information on the “Agrivoltaics for Noah's Ark” competition
www.sustainablephotovoltaiclandscapes.com
To learn more: "Agrivoltaic Systems Design and Assessment: A Critical Review, and a Descriptive Model towards a Sustainable Landscape Vision (Three-Dimensional Agrivoltaic Patterns)" - Toledo, Carlos, and Alessandra Scognamiglio. 2021 - Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6871. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126871
Note
[1] Agrivoltaics for Noah's Ark is a competition devised by ENEA, NeoRuraleHub, Istituto Nazionale di Architettura (IN/Arch), ETA Firenze Energie Rinnovabili and Associazione Italiana Paesaggio Architettura (AIAPP), with the support of the Ministry of Ecological Transition Lombardy Region, Municipality of Giussago, National Council of Architects, Landscapers and Environmentalists, Legambiente and SITdA Società Italiana di Architectural Technology and the media partnership of Archilovers and Archiportale.