It is a fact, electricity production will have to do without the use of coal by 2025 and come, in 2030, for 72% from renewable sources, up to levels close to 95-100% in 2050.
This is what is established by the Ecological Transition Plan (ETP) adopted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITE), which aims to offer a general framework capable of formulating the strategy for the Italian ecological transition.
To achieve the goals set out in the Plan it has been estimated that it will be necessary to achieve a share of renewable energy equal to about 60 GW. The goals include: reduction of emissions of climate-altering gases, sustainable mobility, combating hydrogeological instability and land consumption, water resources and related infrastructure, air quality, circular economy.
Ground-based photovoltaic systems: how they differ
There are distinct options for installing photovoltaic systems, among the most common:
- Photovoltaic systems on roofs of homes, buildings and industrial warehouses;
- so-called "ground" photovoltaic systems;
As far as ground plants are concerned, the legislation initially preferred sites located in industrial areas, abandoned quarries, areas to be reclaimed, landfills and Sites of National Interest (SIN). Compared to agricultural land, however, there was an initial denial that gradually turned into a first opening.
In order to achieve the decarbonization goals it is necessary to develop ground-based plants also on agricultural land and it is not possible to exploit only the previously mentioned abandoned areas.
Photovoltaics and agriculture: a possible combination
Numerous studies have demonstrated the usefulness and possibility of using agricultural land to produce renewable energy, while preserving the continuity of both pastoral and agricultural cultivation activities.
- optimization of shading for crops;
- balancing greenhouse gas emissions;
- the lower demand for water and the consequent saving of water through the implementation of self-supply systems;
- the recovery of soil fertility, as part of the recovery of uncultivated land, which could be returned to agricultural activity.
Guidelines for Agrivoltaic plants
A first response came from the Renewable Energy Associations that, with the aid of private developers of green energy projects, produced the first Position Paper that provides a definition of Agrivoltaic and, above all, the minimum requirements and the so-called "plus" requirements for a photovoltaic system to be defined as "agro".
The Position Paper was then distributed to the various reference institutions, including the MITE, which published the Guidelines on Agrivoltaic Plants.
This document is the result of the work carried out by the Working Group coordinated by the Ministry of Ecological Transition in which they participated: CREA – Council for Research in Agriculture and Agricultural Economics Analysis, ENEA - National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, GSE - Manager of Energy Services and CSR - Research on the Energy System.
The MITE provides us with a first definition of Agrivoltaic: "photovoltaic plant that adopts solutions aimed at preserving the continuity of agricultural and pastoral cultivation activities on the installation site" and also a forecast of the spaces within the plant where it is established that a specific percentage must be allocated to agriculture (about 70% of the total area) and the remaining part will be allocated to photovoltaic modules "that can be mounted in structures that support the agricultural function".
Not only that but the MITE also identified the requirements according to which a plant can be defined as agrivoltaic. There are five requirements:
- REQUIREMENT A: the agrivoltaic system must be designed in such a way as to allow the integration between agricultural activity and electricity production;
- REQUIREMENT B: the agrivoltaic system must guarantee the synergistic production of both electricity and agricultural production and not compromise the continuity of agricultural and pastoral activity;
- REQUIREMENT C: the agrivoltaic plant must adopt innovative integrated solutions with elevated modules from the ground;
- REQUIREMENT D: the agrivoltaic system must be equipped with a monitoring system that allows to verify the impact on cultivations, water savings, etc.;
- REQUIREMENT E: the agrivoltaic system must have a monitoring system that allows to verify the recovery of soil fertility, microclimate, resilience to climate change.
It will be necessary to meet requirements A and B to fall within the agrivoltaic scope.
Compliance with the requirements A, B, C and D, on the other hand, allows to fall within the state incentives and electricity tariffs established by art. 65, paragraphs 1-quater and 1-quinques, of the decree-law 24 January 2012 no. 1 and in which case is defined as "advanced agrivoltaic plant".
Compliance with requirements A, B, C, D and E is a precondition for access to PNRR contributions.
The climate emergency
Therefore, photovoltaics and agriculture can coexist peacefully.
Not only is it required of us by the various goals set at European and National level, but an even more crucial element is climate change.
To remedy this situation, in 2021 Europe with the Green Deal set itself the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and an intermediate emission reduction target of 55% by 2030.
These goals can only be achieved with a clean energy policy. A great resource lies in the development of ground-based photovoltaic systems, including those in agricultural areas.
