Italy

German energy company Steag wants to build three PV plants totaling 244 MW across several olive groves in the southern Italian region of Apulia. The unsubsidized agrivoltaic projects are expected to sell electricity through power purchase agreements. The distance between the rows of the olive grove and the photovoltaic system has been specifically designed both to avoid shadowing and allow the passage of the automatic machinery necessary for the cultivation of the olive trees.

Canadian Solar is pivoting towards energy storage and is preparing to IPO its manufacturing and Chinese solar project activity in China, under the CSI Solar operation, by July.

Italian research agency ENEA is planning to build a €14 million ‘hydrogen valley’ in the province of Rome. pv magazine has spoken with its director of the department of energy technologies and renewable sources, Giorgio Graditi, and has found out that the project will also include the production of hydrogen from photovoltaics.

Enel Green Power is combining existing PV arrays with agriculture at nine pilot sites in Europe. pv magazine recently spoke to Giovanni Tula, the company’s head of sustainability, about the business model and its replicability.

The Italian gas contractor started to develop three green hydrogen projects in the southern Italian region of Apulia and has identified land for potential projects in Albania and Morocco.

The methylammonium-free perovskite solar cell was fabricated through a deposition technique that is claimed to reduce by around 30% the use of solvents during the perovskite deposition. The estimated overall cost of the proposed synthetic process is around €0.025 per cell.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Equity and the Italian energy giant have created a joint venture that will invest around €800 million in renewables in their homeland by 2025. The two companies are planning to build large scale plants with the option of utilizing properties owned by the Italian government.

As the ongoing changes in Italian politics inevitably create some uncertainties, PV operators continue to organize themselves, pulling together to put forward their agenda. pv magazine spoke with Andrea Cristini, spokesperson of new industry body Alleanza per il fotovoltaico in Italia, a group of 25 operators which in December joined forces to promote utility scale solar parks.

The Italian regulation about renewable energy communities entered into force last December. Market operators are now working to establish renewable energy communities (RECs) in Italy. Ènostra coop is currently completing the feasibility study for the development of two RECs in Sardinia. pv magazine spoke with project manager Christian Bartolomeo.

Despite a difficult regulatory framework for utility scale solar, two new projects were announced in southern Italy this week. A 700 MW project is being planned by German companies Steag and KGAL and a 78 MW plant will be built by UK-based Lightsource BP. Both facilities will be located in Sicily.