A Sustainable Agrivoltaic Experience in a dry Mediterranean Area: Co-Existence of Agricultural Activities in Utility Scale Plants of EGP for Multiple Land Use

8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion; 1228-1231
The results reported in the document are related to one of the agrivoltaic (APV) tests in progress in Kourtesi photovoltaic (PV) plant in Greece, as part of the wide experimental program launched by Enel Green Power (EGP) in January 2021. Aromatic species have been implemented in three different areas: in the corridors between two modules rows, underneath the modules and in a control area, free from panels. In addition, in unused marginal areas specific crops have been implemented, enabling new business models, with a circular bioeconomy approach, delivering new win-win solutions for the management of the PV plant and nearby farmers. Proximity and remote sensing networks allow to collect data about all the crops, as a valid support tool to schedule irrigation and fertilization activities. Sustainable agricultural practices have been also implemented, as the use of Riterra, a biodegradable in soil mulching film made of Mater-Bi, a family of completely biodegradable and compostable bioplastics produced by Novamont. Preliminary results for the aromatic species have shown no differences in crops growth between the corridor and the control area. Crops growth monitoring will continue up to 2023, to assess the results and the best sustainable agronomic practices for improving the crops growth.