An interesting initiative starting in France that we would love to see gain traction here in Italy as well.
A large-scale “distributed solar” program, set to be completed in 2027, includes the installation of photovoltaic shelters over the parking lots of 350 hypermarkets and supermarkets, totaling 350 MW.
The estimated annual production of all these plants will be approximately 450 GWh. Overall, 180 thousand parking spaces will be “solarized” under the program.
In Italy, some early steps in this direction have already been taken… a bill is currently under consideration that stipulates that municipalities, after defining the criteria for transferring surface rights and at the request of the operator or concessionaire, may allow the installation of photovoltaic canopies or shelters in open-air parking lots larger than 1,500 square meters.
These installations could cover up to half of the total parking area.