Is it better to cultivate a wheat field and protect the landscape, or to produce clean energy at the expense of the landscape? Between the two options there is perhaps a third one, that of 9REN, an Italian-Spanish company that for its photovoltaic system in Lanuvio (province of Rome) has decided to use a strip of organically grown orchard to camouflage the 6 MWp. of solar panels, spread over an area of 14 hectares. A project - code name: RENTree - which is based, among other things, on the philosophy of permaculture, and which involves the involvement of two local social cooperatives.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Better to cultivate a field of wheat and protect the landscape, or produce clean energy at the expense of the landscape? Between the two options there is perhaps a third one, that of 9REN, an Italian-Spanish company that for its photovoltaic system a Lanuvio (prov. di Rome) thought about using a band of orchard with organic cultivation to camouflage the view i 6 MWp di solar panels, distributed over an area of 14 hectares. A project - code name: RENTree - which is based, among other things, on the philosophy of permaculture, and which provides for the involvement of two local social cooperatives.
The idea actually arises from a need, that of respecting the new legislation of the Lazio region, which provides a green belt around the photovoltaic parks (future or under construction) to hide them from the sight of passers-by. Why then not use like green belt of fruit trees, instead of the usual shrubs? The answer comes directly from 9REN through Antonella Pellegrini: today we are witnessing a contrast between agricultural use of land and its use for ground photovoltaic that somehow has to be resolved and our project goes in this direction.
And the numbers confirm this. Around theLanuvio plant they will in fact be planted well 400 large fruit trees, 800 averages e 1.600 small, as well as 2.400 bushes and 100 creepers. The whole, as mentioned, will be mixed according to the Australian philosophy of permaculture, according to which a correct combination of different plant species reduces the proliferation of parasites, diseases and other types of attacks, consequently minimizing the use of pesticides and pesticides. But the project does not stop there: the management of the cultivation (and the income produced) will be entrusted to two local social cooperatives, which deal with the job placement of people with various kinds of hardships.
In short, a real virtuous circle, where man helps the environment and this, in turn, is integrated with the production of solar power. It is therefore no coincidence that in the context of the "Environment Friendly Innovation Award 2010" organized by Legambiente, of 255 projects, the RENTree was one of nine recommended by the jury.
Roberto Zambon
