The Agro-Photovoltaic Sector as a Possible Implementation Tool in the Sicilian Energy Transition

The energy transition represents a crucial topic for achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, which aims to promote sustainable development and is strongly incentivized by numerous European and national interventions, like the Recovery and Resilience Plan and several others. The goal of this research is to highlight the great potential of the photovoltaic sector, showing how its versatility and adaptability constitute an important strength compared to other renewable sources. In particular, the paper investigates the process of integration between photovoltaics and agriculture that is occurring in the Sicily region, giving rise to agro-photovoltaics. After presenting the strategies proposed by the Environmental Energy Plan of the Sicily Region to address the green revolution and the energy transition of the island, the paper shows the main features of this system and some projects for the construction of agricultural parks and agro-photovoltaic plants. Furthermore, despite the current social debate that creates friction between the various stakeholders regarding the exploitation of the soil, the integration between the two sectors could trigger a virtuous circle that puts agricultural and livestock farms as the main beneficiaries of the economic and environmental advantages derived from agro-photovoltaics and drives the island towards an effective energy transition.