Company bets big on groundbreaking development with crops grown near solar panels: 'An important milestone'

A European energy company is investing over $176 million into a pair of projects that could revolutionize the future of solar-energy generation.

Elgin, a company specializing in renewable energy, will develop two large agrivoltaic plants in Italy, as reported by Renewable Energy Magazine. The plants, located in Sicily and Lombardy, will have a total capacity of more than 190 megawatts.

Agrivoltaics is the practice of placing solar farms on land that can still be used for traditional agriculture. This typically means installing the solar panels at a height where crops can still grow underneath them.

This process can be beneficial for crops that thrive in the shade. Farmers can sell the energy generated on their land as well, which gives them an additional income stream.

A University of Arizona research team found that agrivoltaics could improve crop yields and increase food security in dry parts of the world. The shade would protect crops from intense sun and heat. And at least one longtime farmer has found that this new practice can help protect his family's agricultural legacies.

Creating more sustainable energy options can also make energy more affordable. Energy affordability can reduce our collective reliance on dirty, expensive energy sources. This is particularly important in Italy, which has some of Europe's highest energy prices.

According to European Union data from the first half of 2025, Italy has the EU's fourth-highest residential energy prices. Only Germany, Belgium, and Denmark are more expensive. Italy also has the second-highest non-residential energy prices, behind only Ireland.

Elgin's plant in Sicily will have a capacity of up to 30 megawatts and a 30-megawatt battery storage system. The Lombardy project will be a 130-megawatt plant built on rice fields.

"These two plants mark an important milestone," Elgin CEO Dermot Kelleher said, as relayed by Sustainable Energy Magazine. "They demonstrate how clean energy generation, land stewardship, and active agricultural use can work together effectively."

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