Italian company in the renewable energy sector seeks new solutions for agro-photovoltaic systems combining agricultural and energy production.

Summary

An Italian company is a contractor for renewable energy production plants in Italy and abroad and is looking for innovative agro-energy technologies and methodologies, preferably TRL 5, to combine agricultural and energy production (agro-photovoltaic systems) in their plants. Partners will work together in the co-development of proofs of concept or pilot projects, under technical cooperation agreement. This request is part of an open innovation challenge.

Description

An Italian company specialises in solutions, services and projects for plant development and energy generation from renewable sources. Active in Italy and abroad, the company integrates the entire process comprising Development, Energy Performance Contracts (EPC) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M). These phases are combined in a horizontal manner for all Renewable energy production plants (RES): hydroelectric, maxi-wind, photovoltaic, biomass and biogas plants.

The company is now looking to pursue a new business strand linked to agro-energy production, specifically to those technologies and methodologies that, by combining agricultural production with green energy production, can favour the exploitation of land plots whilst maintaining a high standard for each individual production. This combination of agricultural infrastructure with photovoltaic installations is known as agro-photovoltaics or agrivoltaics.

The company, therefore, is looking for innovative solutions in terms of technology, process and design with a focus on agro-photovoltaic systems, in order to assess the advantages of this new type of combined production.

They are interested in collaborating with start-ups or scale-ups, from all over the world, to co-develop proofs of concept or pilot projects, under technical cooperation agreement.

--- IMPORTANT: This technical cooperation request refers to an open innovation challenges program published on a separate online platform (b2match). If an organization expresses interest before the program closing date, it will be guided towards the open innovation platform.

During registration, interested organizations will be asked to select the challenge that corresponds with this technology request profile. If admitted to the programme, start-ups and scale-ups will benefit from training and will be able to create their (presentation) profile to connect with the companies in order to organize 1to1 matchmaking meetings.

The company will select the organisations that they would like to meet for the development of the solution.

The challenge closes on November the 30th 2021. Once the challenge is closed, expressions of Interest for this technology request will be treated in the traditional way.

Technical Specification or Expertise Sought

The Italian company is looking for innovative agro-energy technologies and methodologies for their renewable energy plants. The company is therefore looking for solutions in terms of technology, process and design with a focus on agro-photovoltaic systems. Agro-photovoltaics in fact use agricultural areas simultaneously to produce crops and to generate photovoltaic power electricity. The aim is to assess the advantages of this new type of combined production, applied to the company’s energy plants from renewable sources. The solutions sought should have preferably TRL 5 - component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment.

Stage of development

Project already started

Contact/ source: Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)