Agriculture and energy, a strategic synergy

An interesting initiative, within the framework of EIMA International, was the one organised by Itabia in close collaboration with Enea, on the topic 'Agrivoltaics, digital innovation and mechanisation'. The agrifood system as a whole must address the issues of decarbonisation and competitiveness and, in this context, agrivoltaics can represent a new opportunity for farmers through win-win models that enhance the potential synergies between agricultural production and energy generation. This is the perspective taken by a special task force set up by Enea. The development of agrivoltaics fits into the broader context of the 'Green Revolution and Ecological Transition' mission of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, with investments of EUR 1.1 billion to install more than 1 GW of power, with benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (about 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂) and containing energy supply costs. As Nicola Colonna (Sustainability Department, Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, Enea Casaccia Research Centre) explained, agrivoltaics combines energy, agriculture and landscape conservation. All this is done through new technologies that also affect agricultural mechanisation due to the need to imagine machines (perhaps electric) that can be easily used underneath the panels and between them, and to integrate sensors and digital systems to support precision agriculture.