EDP inaugurates its first agrivoltaics solar plant in Italy
EDP, a global leader in renewable energy development through EDP Renewables, has inaugurated Monti di Eboli, its first pasture-integrated solar plant in Europe. Located in the province of Salerno (Campania), the project represents a milestone for both EDP and Italy in advancing agrivoltaics, an innovative approach that blends clean energy generation with lawn pasture.
With an installed capacity of 10 MWp (8.3 MWac), Monti di Eboli has been in operation since late 2024. Its nearly 17,000 solar panels, mounted on tracking structures, produce 17 GWh of clean energy each year, enough to power around 6,500 households while avoiding over 7,200 tons of CO₂ emissions.
In a demonstration that renewable projects can integrate into their environment, the project hosts 250 sheep on its grounds. This is a synergic combination, since the sheep benefit from the shade provided by the panels and feed on the grass beneath them, which in turn helps improve the efficiency of the solar panels and preserve the site thanks to the absence of mechanical mowing.
Moreover, beyond generating local clean energy, the presence of solar panels in the pastures also contributes to improving the welfare of the sheep; in particular, the shade directly reduces the animals’ water needs while grazing, while at the same time, the grass becomes more resistant to drought conditions thanks to the panels’ shade.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mario Conte, Mayor of Eboli; Nadia La Brocca, the city’s Environment Councilor; Maria Teresa Imparato, President of Legambiente Campania; Francesca de Falco, Head of the Energy Efficiency and Saving, Green Economy, and Bioeconomy Unit in Campania; and Simona Brancaccio, representative of the regional environmental authority. From EDP, participants included its global CEO, Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, and key representatives for Europe.
As part of EDP’s investment plan in the region, the company, through EDP Energia Italia, a European leader in the development and implementation of distributed solar generation projects, will install two distributed solar systems in public schools in Eboli: one at the Istituto Comprensivo Gonzaga and another at the Istituto Comprensivo Matteo Ripa. Together, these installations will add more than 0.2 MWp of installed capacity and generate over 300 MWh per year, enabling the schools to cover part of their electricity needs with locally produced clean energy.
EDP has been present in Italy since 2010 and currently operates nearly 600 MW of utility-scale wind and solar projects across the country. Since 2019, the company has also expanded into distributed generation for corporate clients, with a contracted capacity of 150 MWp.