Agrivoltaics in Italy: combining the best of solar energy and agriculture

The Italian government’s approval of the Agriculture Law Decree, which limits the installation of photovoltaic modules on agricultural land, has caused uproar and dismay among operators and associations.

The measures seemingly contradict the Italian government’s commitment, made at the recent G7 summit on the 30 of April, to triple the installed renewable capacity by 2030. This would mean an increase from 66 to 198 gigawatts, with the annual installation commitment rising to 20 gigawatts per year. Reaching this target would require less than 1% of agricultural land in Italy, according to the renewable energy industry.

Agrivoltaics offers a solution that enables more renewable energy whilst preserving agricultural land. Furthermore, agrivoltaics could help avoid an increase in the price of energy, prevent additional tax on bills paid by citizens and businesses and would reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.