Innovative Solutions for the Integration of Agro-Zoological Activities within Photovoltaic Power Plants

Enel Green Power (EGP) is looking for innovative solutions aimed at integrating agro-zoological activities within ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) power plants, not requiring plant layout modifications, while creating new opportunities for local communities and markets through a more efficient and sustainable land utilization.

This is an Ideation Challenge with a guaranteed award for at least one submitted solution.

Enel Green Power is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and is committed to contribute to an innovative and sustainable energy production, adopting a proactive approach aimed at creating shared value between the Company and the ecosystem. Enel Green Power strategy aims at the development and the adoption of innovative solutions able to support the transition towards a more sustainable and efficient way of generating electricity in the long term.

Among others, the sustainable design of utility-scale PV plants represents an important pillar of this strategy, as PV will be one of the most relevant contributors to the growth of renewables in the next decade. Utility-scale PV plants require large installation areas and their integration with other activities represents a valuable opportunity for optimizing land-use, enhancing ecosystem services and creating benefit for the surrounding territories and communities.

More specifically, the coexistence in the same area of agricultural activities and PV plants (known as agrivoltaic or agrophotovoltaic) is an approach to create benefit for local communities, allowing a more efficient use of land and preserving or even improving biodiversity. Although solar installations and agriculture can be compatible and even mutually beneficial, only a few utility-scale agrivoltaic solutions have been developed worldwide so far for hosting pollinator-friendly habitats.

Due to the above considerations, Enel Green Power (EGP) is committed to investigate innovative and sustainable solutions aimed at co-locating agricultural and zoological activities within ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) plants using a holistic approach, involving all the exogenous factors related to land use in solar farms.

This Challenge provides contribution to the following SDGs:

•     SDG 7, 9, 15  

– Register now to start solving this Challenge! The full description challenge will be available to logged in users only. –

For questions about the challenge and your proposal you can contact EnelOpenInnovabilityChallenges@innocentive.com

This is an Ideation Challenge, which has the following unique features:

• There is a guaranteed award for at least one solution.  The awards will be paid to the best submission(s) as solely determined by the Seeker. The total payout will be $10,000. In case of multiple awarded solutions [maximum six (6)], there will be at least one submission receiving an award no smaller than $5,000, while the others won’t be smaller than $1,000.
• The Solvers are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to the Seeker. Rather, by submitting a proposal, the Solver grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use any information included in this proposal, including for promotional purposes.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (Central European Time) on July 10, 2020. 

Late submissions will not be considered.

After the Challenge deadline, the Seeker will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the Winning Solution(s). All Solvers that submit a proposal will be notified on the status of their submissions; furthermore, Solvers will only receive a high level evaluation from the Seeker.

ABOUT THE SEEKER     

Enel is a multinational energy company and one of the world’s leading integrated electricity and gas operators. Enel works in more than 30 countries across five continents, generating energy with a total installed capacity of more than 88 GW, selling gas and distributing electricity across a network spanning approximately 2.2 million km.

With almost 74 million end users around the world, Enel has the biggest customer base among our European competitors, and we are one of Europe’s leading energy companies by installed capacity and reported EBITDA.

The Enel Group is made up of approximately 68,000 people from around the world who are working together on the same goal. We are Open Power and our aim is to overcome some of the greatest challenges facing the world. This is to be achieved through a new approach which combines attention to sustainability with the best in innovation.

Enel is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that meet society’s changing needs. Through its openinnovability.com crowdsourcing platform, the company connects people and ideas from across the world, encouraging anyone to propose sustainable innovation projects and solutions that help develop local communities.

Enel is also committed to helping to achieve four of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• 7 – Access to affordable and clean energy
• 9 – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
• 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
• 13 – The fight against climate change

Enel Green Power is the global Enel’s group brand focused on developing and managing renewable energy generation systems with a global presence in 27 countries in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector*, operating more than 1,200 plants with a managed capacity of 46 GW** across a generation mix which includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants. Enel Green Power is a strategic partner that enables communities, companies and the final consumers to move towards sustainable living, driving the shift towards a decarbonized society and actively contributing to the development and wellbeing of the territories where it operates. Enel Green Power applies the CSV (Creating Shared Value) Model, finding new business opportunities by solving social problems, combining competitiveness with the long - term sustainable value creation.

Thanks to its research, technological innovation, internationally-renowned operational excellence, and the hard work of its people, Enel Green Power looks to the future fully aware of its potential for growth, both in terms of additional capacity and operational performance. Enel Green Power invests in new businesses and technologies so as to improve its flexibility and performance, such as the combination of technologies and sources in the same plant (hybridization), the integration between renewables with other sectors (agrivoltaic, green building, new fabrics, etc.) and the research to give new life to the components of the plants once they reach the end. All these projects are led under the lens of Sustainability and Circular Economy.

With its international experience, Enel Green Power also develops custom projects to offer companies the best solutions when it comes to energy generated by renewable sources. Clean energy and sustainable projects, competitive costs and tailor-made solutions are the main benefits of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), tools capable of building strong, long-lasting partnerships with business and industrial clients.

Enel Green Power is also one of the founding members of RES4Africa Foundation, the association founded in 2012 to promote renewable energies and the spread of know-how on the African continent.

* In terms of installed capacity of private operators.

** Data at 31 December 2019.