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Italian winemaker Svolta Srl has deployed an agrovoltaic system in its vineyard in Puglia, Italy. The photovoltaic system has made it possible to grow vines that are normally not viable at this latitude.
The wine producer Svolta Srl has installed an agrovoltaic system in its vineyard Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità de Laterza, in the Italian province of Taranto, in the sunny southern region of Apulia.
The 970-kW, south-facing system features about 7,770 panels of varying wattages: 135 W, 125 W and 100 W. The technology is mostly unspecified double-bonded thin film. The modules are positioned at a 28-degree tilt angle.
The structure is made of reinforced concrete viticulture components that is inspired by the typical pergola vineyard structure. The company is producing two strains: the local Primitivo offering and Goldtraminer, which is a typical vine of the Dolomites in northern Italy and is not normally compatible with the latitudes of this region.
The company says the agrovoltaic system delayed the harvest compared to other farms in the area. Technical studies show it reduced exposure to extreme weather conditions, cut environmental impact, decreased water consumption by up to 20% and increased land yield by 20-60%.
Emilio Roggero of the Italian Association for Sustainable Agrovoltaics (AIAS) added that the system helped the winemaker reverse a trend where hotter summers had shifted the harvest from early October to late September.
“The system led to a postponement of the grape harvest, reduced water stress and protected the grapes from further weather excesses,” he told pv magazine Italia . “We have multi-year measurements of the reduction in water stress of vine plants under agrovoltaic shading carried out by Professor Maurizio Boselli of the University of Verona based on research from 2009-13 in Valpolicella. Even at the most critical midday moments, the leaves of the plants under the panels are in substantially normal conditions, while those outside the panels, in full sun, are subject to intense water stress.”
Professors Giuseppe Ferrara and Andrea Mazzeo of the University of Bari confirmed these results with new measurements. Roggero said that in 2022, the harvest took place in early October, but in 2024, they harvested the grapes three to four weeks later than nearby areas, for both grape varieties.
The agrovoltaic structure protects plants from excessive heat, radiation and wind, and reduces wind speed by half compared to open fields. Plants placed under the panels show better vegetative growth than those placed in full sun.
Roggero said the Primitivo grapes under the panels achieved good sugar levels and maintained acidity, unlike the grapes exposed to the sun, which had a lot of sugar and little acidity with a high pH.
“Partial shading slows down the progression of sugar content and this year the value we wanted of 21 degrees was reached in the last days of August, while the grapes in full sun at the same time were already at 25 degrees, well above our target,” he explained. “We detected a reduction of about 10% in sugar content and an increase in acidity of about 25% of the grapes under agrovoltaic shading. Checks on the various acidities are being carried out with the University of Bari and the data is being processed.”
Grapes with the ideal sugar content and acidity allow the production of high-quality wines without the need for corrective oenological interventions, preserving the authenticity of the wine.
«Red agrovoltaic wines are distinguished by their greater lightness and elegance, and whites by the freshness conferred by excellent acidity. In the coming years we could also propose sparkling wines using the classic method, for which white agrovoltaic grapes are particularly suitable,» says Roggero. «Due to these characteristics, enhanced by refined oenological protocols, agrovoltaic wines are proposed as high-quality wines and, due to the highly sustainable cultivation methods, rare and in a certain way exclusive. The price of agrovoltaic wine is thus placed in a range of shop wines on a par with the best productions in the sector.»
The Goldtraminer grape variety is characteristic of the Trentino region and the Verona area in northern Italy.
“This year we have obtained a new Traminer in production with the right balance between sugar and alcohol content - 14% vol and acidity pH 3.45. The experiment is giving positively surprising results,” says Roggero. “The same Primitivo di Gioia del Colle grown in agrovoltaic conditions shows elegance and a good level of acidity reminiscent of fine red wines from the north.” |
