Agrivoltaic Observatory

Advancing Knowledge for Responsible Agrivoltaics

The Agrivoltaic Observatory is a core initiative of the Italian Agrivoltaic Institute.
Aligned with our mission to support responsible and productive agrivoltaic development, the Observatory collects reliable, independent data to help the country understand how solar–agriculture integration is evolving in real farms and real territories.

In addition to the national inventory of completed agrivoltaic projects already available on our website, the Observatory now launches a major new research effort: a six-month national survey of Italian farms.

 

National Survey on Agriculture and Agrivoltaics (2025–2026)

Launched in September 2025, this study aims to interview 100 agricultural enterprises across Italy.
Our goal is to map—with depth and neutrality—the challenges, questions and aspirations that farmers express when evaluating agrivoltaic solutions.

This work will build a first, authoritative “state of the nation” on agrivoltaics from the agricultural perspective: what farmers need, what they fear, what they expect, and which conditions would make agrivoltaics a credible opportunity rather than a source of uncertainty.

 

What We Aim to Understand

Through interviews and structured questionnaires, we explore themes that repeatedly emerge in discussions with farmers:

• Economic concerns: price levels, fairness of compensation, long-term revenue stability.

• Transparency issues: clarity of contracts, developer behaviour, information asymmetry.

• Agronomic questions: crop performance under shade, microclimate effects, soil conditions.

• Operational challenges: how to work the land, access for machinery, maintenance constraints.

• Regulatory and procedural doubts: permissions, land designation, compliance responsibilities.

This qualitative and quantitative mapping will inform both farmers and institutions, helping the country design policies and project models better aligned with agricultural realities.

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Methodology

The six-month survey combines:

• Interviews with farm owners and managers

• Regional sampling across crop types and production models

• Collaboration with agronomists and technical experts

• Data validation procedures

• Full privacy protection and anonymised publication

 

Outputs

The Observatory will publish:

• A national State of Agrivoltaics in Agriculture report (Spring 2026)

• Thematic insights released progressively on this page

• Updated integration with:

  • our national inventory of completed projects

  • crop-suitability insights

  • regional regulatory guides and expert resources

This work will provide the first comprehensive knowledge base dedicated to Italian farms evaluating agrivoltaics.​

 

Participate in the Survey

Agricultural enterprises interested in contributing to the national survey can contact us through the Observatory form.
Participation is voluntary, confidential and non-commericial. Your experience will directly support the development of agrivoltaic models that respect agricultural needs and strengthen rural communities.