Yield Data from Existing Dual Land-Use Solar Farms in Puglia and Sicily

Southern Italy — and Puglia in particular — has become the region with the highest concentration of agrivoltaic capacity in the country. The combination of high annual solar irradiance (typically 1,600–1,800 kWh/m² per year), extensive flat agricultural land in the Tavoliere plain and the Salento plateau, and mature connections to the medium-voltage distribution network has made the region a test bed for dual land-use solar installations at commercial scale. This page compiles capacity figures, Land Equivalent Ratio data, and crop yield observations from installations that are either operational or under GSE monitoring.

Installed Capacity in Puglia

By early 2026, the total agrivoltaic installed capacity in Puglia reached approximately 620 MW. This figure positions Puglia as the leading region nationally for this specific category of installation, accounting for roughly 15% of Italy's 4 GW total connected renewable capacity. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 12 environmental compatibility decrees were issued for an additional 583 MW of agrivoltaic projects in the region, indicating that growth is ongoing rather than plateauing.

Geographic concentration follows the agricultural distribution of the region. The largest clusters of installations are found in:

• Tavoliere delle Puglie (Foggia province): The most extensive flat agricultural plain in southern Italy, historically dominated by cereal farming. The Tavoliere has the highest density of large-scale agrivoltaic projects, with several individual installations exceeding 50 MW.
• Brindisi province: Mixed vegetable and orchard farming has attracted elevated-module agrivoltaic configurations, as the higher structure clearance allows continued use of standard agricultural machinery.
• Lecce province: Olive groves and vineyards are the dominant agricultural land use, and a number of smaller agrivoltaic projects (10–40 MW) have been developed in combination with these permanent crops.

Documented Project Records

The following project-level records are drawn from publicly available documentation, GSE monitoring summaries, and regional press reporting:

Land Equivalent Ratio: The Grape Trial in Brindisi Province

The most comprehensively documented agronomic study from Italian agrivoltaic farms was conducted in a vineyard in the Brindisi area, combining viticulture with a photovoltaic array positioned above the vine rows. The study, published in the journal Horticulturae, recorded the following results:

• Land Equivalent Ratio (LER): 3.54 — meaning the combined output (electricity plus grape biomass) from the agrivoltaic plot would require 3.54 times the land area to produce separately under conventional monoculture systems.
• Grape yield beneath panels was 277% higher than the full-sun control plots in the same growing season.
• Electricity output reached over 90% of the reference figure from a ground-mounted system of equivalent capacity on the same site, indicating minimal electrical penalty from the elevated mounting configuration.
• The increased grape yield under panels was attributed to reduced heat stress during peak summer months (July–August), lower water evapotranspiration, and improved bud fruitfulness on canes that received filtered rather than direct radiation.

The LER of 3.54 is among the highest recorded in any peer-reviewed European agrivoltaic study. Italian researchers caution that the figure applies specifically to the local micro-climate conditions of the Brindisi coastal plain and that LER values from other locations and crop types are typically in the 1.3 to 1.8 range.

Tomato Crop Results: Southern Italy

A separate study, published in Processes, examined tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production under photovoltaic panels in a southern Italian setting. Results diverged from the grape trial in several respects:

• Total fruit count per plant was reduced under panels compared to full-sun controls, consistent with reduced photosynthetically active radiation reaching the crop canopy.
• Individual fruit size was larger under panels, and the proportion of commercially graded fruit — assessed by Brix degree (sugar content) — was higher than in the full-sun plot.
• Water use per kilogram of fruit was lower under panels, a result attributed to reduced surface evaporation and lower canopy temperature.

The study's authors note that for tomato varieties used in industrial processing — where total biomass matters more than individual fruit quality — agrivoltaic shading reduces total output in absolute terms. For fresh-market tomatoes, where price is linked to sugar content and size, the quality improvement may offset the yield reduction commercially.

Sicily: Context and Data Gaps

Sicily has the highest solar irradiance of any Italian region, with annual values of 1,750–1,950 kWh/m² in the interior and southern coastal areas. The island has significant installed photovoltaic capacity in agricultural zones, but a smaller share of this is formally classified as agrivoltaic under the criteria of the 2023 Ministerial Decree.

Published agronomic monitoring data specific to agrivoltaic installations on Sicilian farmland is limited. Most existing installations predate the formal regulatory definition of advanced agrivoltaic systems and were developed as standard ground-mounted plants on agricultural land, without the elevated module configuration and monitoring obligations that the GSE now requires. These earlier installations have generated grid connection experience and irradiance data but do not constitute agrivoltaic dual land-use operations in the regulatory sense.

As of early 2026, several agrivoltaic projects are in the permitting phase in the provinces of Ragusa (vegetable greenhouse integration), Agrigento (durum wheat), and Palermo (citrus orchards). Field data from these installations is expected to become available through GSE monitoring reports from 2027 onwards.

Electricity Yield Benchmarks for Southern Italy

In addition to crop data, electricity output from agrivoltaic installations in Puglia has been documented in project monitoring reports. Key parameters:

• Specific yield (kWh per kWp installed per year): typically 1,400 to 1,600 kWh/kWp for fixed-tilt systems in Puglia; 1,550 to 1,700 kWh/kWp for single-axis tracking systems.
• Performance ratio (actual output vs. theoretical maximum under recorded irradiance): 0.82 to 0.87 for well-maintained systems with modern bifacial modules.
• Panel soiling losses in agricultural environments: documented at 2–5% per year without cleaning, depending on dust, pollen, and irrigation spray exposure. Regular cleaning cycles reduce annual losses to below 1%.

These figures are broadly consistent with GSE reference data for the solar irradiance zone covering most of Puglia (Zone 5 in Italy's irradiance classification). Individual project performance varies based on mounting angle, inter-row spacing, inverter configuration, and local shading from trees or agricultural structures.

Monitoring Infrastructure Requirements

All agrivoltaic installations receiving GSE incentives under the 2023 decree are required to install and maintain dedicated monitoring systems. The minimum sensor suite typically includes: pyranometers to measure in-plane irradiance, crop canopy light sensors at ground level, soil moisture probes, and automated weather stations recording temperature and wind speed. Data is logged continuously and submitted to the GSE quarterly. Agricultural yield data — expressed in total tonnage per hectare for the primary crop — is submitted annually, with the first report covering the full first calendar year of operation.

The monitoring obligation serves both regulatory and research purposes. The GSE uses aggregate data to assess programme-level outcomes against PNRR targets. Research institutions, including CNR-ISPA (Institute of Sciences of Food Production) in Lecce, have co-authored studies based on monitoring data from operational farms, contributing to the peer-reviewed literature that informs future agrivoltaic policy revision.