Sustainable Energy and Food: The Agrivoltaic Approach

The European Union, through the 2019 Green Deal, has outlined the goal of becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050. [1] Agrivoltaics is a key technology for achieving this goal. In November 2023, the European Commission approved EUR 1.7 billion in funding to support this technology in Italy. [2]

Agrivoltaics can combine clean energy production with food production, and it has been shown that consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainably grown products, as they value products with a low environmental impact in the food production process, increasing the margins of the agricultural component of agrivoltaic plants. In addition, sustainable products contribute to the ‘Farm to Fork’ plan, which is one of the objectives of the European Green Deal and aims to achieve a sustainable food system. [3] [4]

To achieve a sustainable food system, actors in the primary sector will face additional decarbonisation costs in the short term, which will be reflected in higher prices for consumers. In any case, the agricultural sector will be less affected. In the long term, however, sustainable production methods such as agrivoltaics will become more widespread, with positive economies of scale: this will create a competitive advantage for those who have made the transition. In terms of consumption and production patterns, there will be innovative products with high added value, leading to a reduction in the overall costs of the agricultural production system, with a positive impact on food security. [5]

For these reasons, Innovo Renewables invests in agrivoltaic technology in order to complement national agriculture, whose value and uniqueness will be preserved, with the production of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Bibliography

[1] “The European Green Deal – European Commission”. Available: The European Green Deal – European Commission

[2] “La Commissione approva un regime italiano da 1,7 miliardi di € a sostegno di impianti agrivoltaici”. Available: https://italy.representation.ec.europa.eu/notizie-ed-eventi/notizie/la-commissione-approva-un-regime-italiano-da-17-miliardi-di-eu-sostegno-di-impianti-agrivoltaici-2023-11-10_it

[3] “Farm to Fork Strategy – European Commission”. Available: Farm to Fork Strategy – European Commission

[4] “The Symbiotic Production of Food and Green Electricity: Consumer Preferences for Food Produced in Agrivoltaic Systems”, Maureen Schulze and Kristin Jurkenbeck. Available: Bus Strat Env – 2024 – Schulze – The Symbiotic Production of Food and Green Electricity Consumer Preferences for Food.pdf

[5] “Inception Impact Assessment – European Commission”.  Available: efad46c1-0813-443f-8670-83e278206084_en