Energy: Agrivoltaics, ENEA/EF Solare Italia hitech plant kicks off in Calabria, Italy

ENEA and EF Solare Italia - Europe's leading photovoltaic operator - are setting up in Scalea (Cosenza), Calabria, a state-of-the-art agrivoltaic park composed of plants with different technological layouts, equipped with high-efficiency double-sided photovoltaic panels and advanced sensor systems, as part of the “High Efficiency Photovoltaics” research project of the 2022-2024 three-year implementation plan of the National Electricity System Research - MASE-ENEA Program Agreement. The electricity produced will either be stored or used to desalinate brackish water for irrigation.

The goal is to evaluate different technological approaches, collect useful data to develop increasingly efficient solutions designed based on the characteristics of the area. The collaboration also includes the contribution of the companies Le Greenhouse, for the agricultural part, and Set Energie, for the electrical part, which are already involved in the experimental park due to their knowledge of the area, their synergy with local communities and long standing experience in the photovoltaic sector.

The project will compare lemon crops grown in plants with different agrivoltaic configurations (both static and tracking) and monitor their energy performance. Then, lemon crops grown under solar plants will be compared with those grown in the open field to check their productivity, quality, soil properties and other parameters to assess the effectiveness of the methods. The comparison will be conducted through monitoring and control systems applied to both agricultural and energy components. The plant will also be equipped with ferti-irrigation systems to irrigate crops with water already containing fertilizer, for increased precision agriculture adoption.

The outcomes will also be shared with the community also to support policy makers achieving decarbonization goals through increasingly sustainable agri-voltaics.

 “The creation of an agrivoltaic demonstrator in Scalea is a significant step toward the sustainable integration of energy production and agricultural activities,” said Alessandra Scognamiglio, researcher at the Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources and president of the AIAS, the Italian Sustainable Agrivoltaic Association. “This plant” Scognamiglio went on ” demonstrates how photovoltaics can harmoniously blend with agriculture and it also provides crucial data to increase confidence in this technology. By monitoring crops under different solar exposure conditions, we are gaining critical knowledge to achieve greater penetration of PV into the national power system. We are proud to lead this innovation in partnership with EF Solare and promote sustainable agrivoltaic practices that improve crop resilience to climate change and optimize water use.”

 “Developing agri-voltaic solutions is key to achieving the ambitious climate-neutral renewable energy development goals we have set nationally and internationally,” explained Andrea Ghiselli, CEO of EF Solare Italia.  “In a global context of climate change,” Ghiselli continued, ” agrivoltaic systems and dual land use can help save water, protect crops and produce clean energy. At the Scalea site we have long been developing technologically advanced solutions that merge agriculture and renewable energy production. True to this approach, we are happy to collaborate with ENEA in this research project. We are confident this will enable us to process valuable data to be made available to the community to work in synergy with institutions united by a single goal: providing clean energy to the country and achieving decarbonization goals.”

Having more than 300 plants and an installed capacity of more than 1 gigawatt between Italy and Spain, EF Solare Italia is among the leading photovoltaic operators in Europe, 70% owned by the funds of F2i - Fondi Italiani per le Infrastrutture, the largest infrastructure fund active in Italy, and 30% by Crédit Agricole Assurances, the leading French institutional investor in renewable energy. EF Solare aims to lead the growth of the solar sector and the energy transition through operational excellence, innovation, development of new plants and enhancement of its assets. With more than 10 years of experience, the group also actively operates in the agri-voltaic sector thanks to its 32 MW of photovoltaic greenhouses and the development of an innovative open-field agri-voltaic model with zero land consumption. In addition, the EF Solare is a partner in the European research project Symbiosyst, selected and funded by Horizon Europe, dedicated to increasing the competitiveness of agrivoltaics in Europe.