# Solar Energy in Urban Planning: Lesson Learned and Recommendations from Six Italian Case Studies
## 2 Background: Italian Legislative Framework
### National Standards  
The INECP sets some growth targets for power and thermal energy from RES at the national level. In the case of solar energy, targets are set to 28,550 MW for 2025 and 52,000 MW for 2030 (in 2017, the production amounted to 19,682 MW).  
With regard to the thermal sector, the targets are 590 ktoe in 2025 and 751 ktoe in 2030 [36]. Furthermore, the \"Clean Energy for all Europeans Package\" was implemented in Italy by the \"Renewables Decree\" (D.Lgs 28/2011 [32]), which also led to the definition of guidelines for energy performance certification of buildings (D.M. 26 June 2015. Specifically, Article 11 of Decree D.Lgs 28/2011 introduces the obligation to integrate renewable energy sources in new buildings or buildings subject to major renovations. Indeed, in case of new construction, refurbishment, or demolition and reconstruction, RES should cover 50% of DHW consumption, and 50% of the sum of consumptions for DHW, space heating, and cooling. For public buildings, the share is increased to 55%; while in the case of private buildings located in historic city centers, the share is reduced to 25% (27.5% for public buildings) [32]. In 2021, the share of RES has been further increased, with the introduction of the D.Lgs 199/2021. From June 2022, in case of new construction and major renovations, RES should now cover 60% of the consumptions for DHW, space heating, and cooling. Conversely, a 65% coverage should be demonstrated for public buildings [37]. Concerning passive solar, minimum daylight levels in buildings are regulated by national laws (D.M. 190/1975, C.M. LL. PP. 22 November 1974 n. 1301 and D.M. n. 26/1975). These set minimum levels of the daylight factor depending on the type of building:  
* Residential buildings: \(\geq\)2% and a window-to-floor ratio \(\geq\) 1/8 is required.
* Hospitals and schools: \(\geq\)3% (rooms and labs), \(\geq\)2% (gyms and canteen), \(\geq\)1% (offices and other service rooms).  
The Italian National Status of Ground-Mounted PV  
The national energy target for 2030 foresees an increase in ground-mounted photovoltaics of about 35 GW. However, the actual installation trend of 1 GW/yr is far below the 6.5 GW/yr needed to fulfill the target on time [38]. The installation of PVs on the ground is currently hampered by barriers along the authorization process due to landscape preservation and land use concerns. The adoption of innovative solutions such as agricultural PV aims at overcoming these barriers by combining a dual use of land and establishing a synergy between energy production and agriculture, which can be seen as a driver. In that regard, the current legislation is in constant evolution. In April 2021, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), part of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) program, allocated 1.1 billion euros investment for the \"agrivoltaic development\" with the specific objective of installing 2 GW of agrivoltaic capacity and improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector [39]. Additional elements regarding the definition of agrivoltaics have been introduced by the National Law 29 July 2021 [40] where these systems are described as \"innovative integrative solutions, with PV modules raised from the ground, also including tracking systems, which do not compromise the continuity of the agricultural activities on ground\". This law introduces simplifications in the process, which would lead to a rationalization of the authorizations for PV toward the national energy targets. Despite a specific definition for agrivoltaics not being currently available in Italy, an official document is expected in a short time. Meanwhile, the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) has launched the National Network for Sustainable Agrivoltaics [41], while the Italian Electrotechnical Committee (CEI) has initiated a working group on the topic.