RWE has commenced the construction of its first commercial-scale Agri-PV projects in Italy. The two advanced projects, Morcone (9.8 MWac) and Acquafredda (9.3 MWac), are located in the province of Benevento in the Campania region. Together, these installations will feature over 32,500 solar modules with a combined capacity of 19.1 MWac. Once completed, the projects will provide clean electricity to more than 13,000 Italian homes. The commissioning of the plants is planned for the end of 2025.

Both projects were successful in the recent Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan auction, highlighting their importance in Italy’s renewable energy transition.

Innovative agri-PV technology for sustainable energy and agriculture

The two Agri-PV projects will utilize elevated tracker systems, where the solar panels will be mounted on a three-meter-high movable axis structure. This innovative approach will optimize energy production while allowing agricultural activities to continue beneath the panels. The system not only enhances land use efficiency but also protects crops from extreme weather conditions such as hail, frost, drought, and heavy rain.

To further advance Agri-PV technology, RWE will monitor the performance of the solar installations alongside meteorological and agricultural yield data, ensuring a fully integrated energy-agriculture system.

Katja Wünschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, emphasized the significance of the project: “The start of construction marks the realization of our world-first Agri-PV projects on a commercial scale, with more to come. Sunny Italy is also a perfect market for this technology. Advanced Agri-PV helps us to use the scarce resource of land responsibly and efficiently, generating two different yields—agriculture and renewable energy—from the same land. Win-win at its best.”