Greenhouses and photovoltaics, from Sicily the new model for green agriculture

In Santa Croce Camerina, near Ragusa, agriculture meets renewable energy production inside a greenhouse. The first agri-voltaic plant in Italy based on Serra Archimede® technology, built by Bee srl and designed by the Regran Group and financed by Banca Agricola Popolare di Sicilia with a 1.1 million euro investment, has been completed in contrada Pantano. The operation marks the operational debut of a model that tries to hold together two decisive needs for the agricultural sector: producing quality crops and, at the same time, generating clean energy on the same land. This is an industrial response to a context marked by unstable energy costs, market tensions, supply difficulties and the growing need to make the balance sheets of agricultural enterprises more solid.

The Archimede® Greenhouse uses fixed double-sided photovoltaic modules installed on the greenhouse structure. The sunlight is thus used both for photosynthesis of the crops and for the production of electricity for self-consumption or sale. The central point of the project is that the installation does not take away land from agricultural production. The facility is designed to be reversible and non-invasive, preserving the integrity of the land and enhancing farm profitability. This is particularly relevant in the so-called Ragusa transformed belt, one of Sicily's most important agricultural districts, where the issue of energy efficiency weighs directly on the competitiveness of businesses. The validity of the system was tested by the University of Catania on tomato production. According to the companies involved, the results show agricultural productivity levels comparable to those of traditional greenhouses.

For Baps, the financing of the plant represents a piece of the strategy linked to energy transition and support for innovative agriculture. "Supporting the first Serra Archimede® in Italia testifies to our desire to be an active partner in the energy transition and agricultural innovation," says Saverio Continella, CEO of Baps. The project, he adds, 'embodies national and European strategic priorities, enhancing the potential of the Sicilian territory through an innovative model of development that combines environmental sustainability and economic growth'.

For Marco Anfuso, ceo of Regran, Serra Archimede® represents 'a real revolution for the transformed belt', because it makes it possible to combine agricultural and energy production without putting crop yields in second place. The goal now is the replicability of the model. The technology aims to offer farmers a tool that can reduce their exposure to volatile energy prices and create new revenue through the sale of the electricity produced.

According to Michele Bitetti, managing director of BEE srl, the model can become 'a unique and innovative tool for the development and modernisation of the agricultural sector'. The greenhouse, he explains, makes it possible to eliminate energy costs, improve the agricultural infrastructure, and increase revenues both through the sale of energy and the qualitative and quantitative improvement of production.