NextEnergy developing 87MWp agrivoltaics project paired with battery storage in Italy

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
An agrivoltaics research project in Colorado, US. Image: Solar FlexRack/Werner Slocum, NREL.

Starlight, the renewables development unit of solar investor and asset manager NextEnergy Group, is progressing with an 87MWp agrivoltaics project in Italy that will be co-located with a 23MW battery energy storage system.

Due to be constructed in the province of Naples, the project is currently at an advanced stage of development and will span around 140 hectares when complete.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The plant, called Land of the Sun, will feature bifacial modules and trackers, while the solar arrays will be installed more than 2 metres above ground, with gaps between them of 4 – 6 metres.

Agricultural activities at the site will be divided into seven clusters: livestock, hemp, horticulture, honey, outdoor poultry farms, vertical farming and medical plants.

Starlight has partnered with agricultural association Coldiretti to increase stakeholder engagement and to study soil conditions.

The partners behind the project aim to rejuvenate the soil quality on site by sowing seeds such as hemp that provide regenerative properties, hopefully allowing land to be given back to farmers in a much better condition at the end of the solar plant’s life. 

“The underlying concept of agri-eco-voltaics is fantastic, by taking an innovative photovoltaic system and combining it with modern and sustainable agriculture, we are able to maximise land use to help face current economic and social challenges,” said Aldo Beolchini, chief investment officer at NextEnergy Capital.  

Formed by NextEnergy Group in March, Starlight aims to develop 5GW of solar PV projects in the next three years.

The unit’s expansion into agrivoltaics comes after Italy’s government recently launched a €1.5 billion (US$1.5 billion) scheme that aims to incentivise the installation of agrivoltaic projects in the country.

Earlier this year, Cero Generation, a solar portfolio company of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, closed financing on a 70MW agrivoltaic project in Italy’s Lazio region that is expected to be operational next year.

Read Next

July 11, 2025
Solar firms submitted over 1,300 expressions of interest to the latest Italian government renewable energy tender, for a combined 17.5GW of proposed generation capacity.
July 8, 2025
Germany could install 500GW of new solar agrivoltaics (agriPV) capacity on its most 'suitable' land, according to Fraunhofer ISE.
July 7, 2025
GameChange Solar has announced plans to supply trackers for the 1GW second phase of the Abydos project in Egypt.
July 3, 2025
Malaysian engineering and infrastructure giant Gamuda has expanded its presence in the Australian renewables sector by partnering with Tasmanian landowners to build a 1.2GW portfolio, which includes solar PV.
July 1, 2025
Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has secured financing and reached financial close for its 220MW solar-plus-storage plant in Chile.
July 1, 2025
French private equity firm Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund (ACEEF) has bought 117 solar PV plants, worth 116MW of total capacity in several locations in Italy.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK