Author(s): Andrea Colantoni, Leonardo Bianchini, Giuseppe Colla, Massimo Cecchini, Valerio Di Stefano, Francesco Gallucci, Alvaro Marucci, Gianluca Egidi
Agrivoltaic systems are a strategic and innovative approach to combine solar photovoltaic (PV) with agricultural production and for the recovery of marginal areas. The synergy between agriculture 4.0 models and the installation of latest generation photovoltaic panels will guarantee a series of advantages starting from the optimization of the harvest and livestock production, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view, with a consequent increase in profitability and employment. This study aims to support farmers in understanding the factors that act on the choice of crop and/or farming system according to the plant design of the photovoltaic system, as today the investment of an agrivoltaic system is very expensive if three main variables are not considered: i) type of panel to be inserted (height from the ground, characteristics, tracker, etc.); ii) type of crop to be used including sustainable mechanization and suitable for design and maintenance and phytosanitary treatments; iii) authorizations and environmental regulations to be respected in order to proceed correctly with the installation of the panels.