Agrivoltaic developer Next2Sun has commissioned its latest project in Portogruaro, in the Veneto region of north-east Italy. On the 1 MW site, solar generation and farming share the same land, with cereals, soy, herbs and flowering plants to be grown between the module rows.
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Built for field and market
The company presents Portogruaro as a reference project, showing that vertical agrivoltaics works in the field, can be delivered and is in growing demand. Its case rests on a design in which vertically mounted bifacial modules leave room for agricultural machinery and shift generation to commercially attractive times of day. With the modules facing east and west, the plant delivers most of its electricity in the morning and afternoon and less around midday, precisely when conventional south-facing installations are feeding in at full output and dragging down wholesale prices. The result is higher prices for the electricity it sells.
Croatian and Italian associations join on agri-PV rollout
Next2Sun has meanwhile built up a sizeable project pipeline across Europe, with construction possible over the next two years, and has just raised fresh capital to finance these projects. In the company’s view, this level of demand shows that the technology has long been market-ready.
Agrivoltaics key to the transition in Italy
The project also reflects strong interest among farmers in the energy transition, although turning this interest into projects requires political support. Many representatives from politics, agriculture, the energy sector and the wider economy used the opening ceremony to see the potential of agrivoltaics for themselves. At a round table, experts from ministries, associations and institutions discussed the role of agrivoltaics in the future of the Italian energy system and its significance for climate, energy and agricultural policy. (su)
