Ferrero signs up for Sicilian solar – the ambassador will be happy
The Ferrero Rocher maker will buy the energy generated by two agrivoltaics projects planned in Sicily as it aims to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Axpo Italy chief says country is catching up with European private-PPA peers
Two PV farms planned in Sicily by Canadian Solar, with a total 12 MWp generation capacity, will sell the electricity they produce to Axpo Italia under a ten-year PPA at a fixed rate which the Chinese-Canadian company did not reveal.
Italian PV sector cautious about Covid-19 recovery package
The Italian PV world remains cautiously skeptical about the €220 billion post-pandemic recovery plan that Rome presented last week. It outlines steps for agrivoltaics, but retains preferential treatment for the gas sector (biomethane and hydrogen), and notes the marginal role of batteries and pumping systems. However, the green policies are not final and could still be shaped by related decrees and non-financial measures.
Italy could double PV capacity by 2025, says PI Berlin
International investments in large-scale solar plants, combined with repowering and current support schemes, could trigger a PV boom in Italy, says Germany-based technical advisor PI Berlin.
Optimization algorithm for vertical agrivoltaics
Developed by Swedish scientists, the proposed algorithm is said to calculate a project’s ideal design by combining climatological data with figures on expected solar power generation, shading distribution, water for irrigation, and agricultural yield. Its creators spoke with pv magazine about the key parameters that the model seeks to determine, one of which is the optimal distance between the solar module rows depending on the kind of crop.
Italy devotes €1.1bn to agrivoltaics, €2bn to energy communities and storage
The funds will be part of the EU Covid-19 recovery package. Overall, the Italian government expects to deploy 2 GW of agrivoltaics and 2 GW through energy communities.
Italian ruling could facilitate more PV development
Italy’s Council of State has issued a new ruling that bodes well for renewables development. The consultative body has clarified a number of principles related to permits, but caution is still required.
PV-powered desalination system for rural areas
Italian start-up Genius Watter has developed a solar desalination solution that is claimed to be particularly suitable for remote areas with no connection to grid electricity. The system is able to produce up to 1,000 cubic meters of potable water per day at an opex of €0.20 per cubic meter.
ECJ indicates EU member states free to revise signed feed-in tariff contracts
The court has agreed with advocate-general Henrik Saugmandsgaard Øe that Italy’s move, in 2014, to reduce solar incentive payments contained in signed agreements held by developers does not breach EU law.
Unsubsidized solar may reach 57 GW in Italy by 2040
New research by Aurora Energy Research expects new unsubsidized solar PV capacity to grow to 5 GW by 2025, 12 GW by 2030, 32 by 2035, and 57 GW by 2040.
