Next Solar Landscapes: Mapping PV Fields at the End of Life

The paper presents the results of the first work package of a Research Programs of Great National Interest (PRIN-2022) funded in 2023, which addresses reusing and redesigning photovoltaic fields on the ground at the end of life. Three research units are working on the project: the Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, and Università degli Studi di Torino. The research starts from the idea that photovoltaic fields at the end of life are a strategic asset mainly recognised as an energy resource and not as an opportunity to rethink the culture of the landscape. Although installed photovoltaic power must increase considerably to meet the objectives of the Green Deal, the innovative potential of photovoltaic field renovation is not sufficiently explored. Suppose any investigations actively integrate photovoltaics in buildings, agriculture, or floating systems. In that case, those on the decommissioning or revamping are at the beginning, and scientific literature is not sufficiently advanced. The first research outcome describes the situation in Italy. The first outcome argues the photovoltaic field on the ground distribution in each Italian region through the support of GIS systems. In addition, the GIS analysis allowed the research to identify which Italian territories are most affected by the presence of ground-based photovoltaic systems in order to define a selection of three case studies in which to investigate the characteristics of the settlement morphologies of the PV systems that appear conditioned by the more or less marked fragmentation of land ownership.