The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has unveiled a new incentive program to support innovative agricultural photovoltaic solutions. The Italian government has submitted these new regulations to the European Commission and is now awaiting EU approval.
The plan is part of Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Program (PNRR), which has a budget of 1.1 billion euros and should be sufficient to deploy around 1.04GW of installed PV capacity by June 2026.
Only agricultural PV projects with vertical installation structures or high-efficiency innovative PV modules are eligible to participate in the program. Selected developers will receive subsidies up to 40% of the initial cost of procurement and installation of photovoltaic systems. These developers will receive feed-in tariff payments based on the energy they deliver to the grid.
The new decree also defines "advanced agricultural photovoltaic systems". These systems must incorporate innovative installation solutions – that is, installing solar modules on the ground without disrupting the continuity of agricultural production. In summary, the new regulations define "advanced agricultural photovoltaic systems" as complex systems that both increase production potential and ensure continuity of agricultural activities.