Donnalucata Solar Park: GridShare's most ambitious project has sold out!

GridShare strengthens its leadership in Italian photovoltaic with the new Donnalucata solar park

The Italian solar energy market is experiencing a phase of strong expansion, driven by the increase in demand for green energy, the improvement of photovoltaic technologies and the growing attention to sustainable investments. In this scenario, GridShare continues to stand out as one of the most dynamic operators in the industry. The recent equity crowdfunding campaign dedicated to the Donnalucata solar park, in Sicily, ended with a success that confirms not only the interest in next-generation photovoltaic, but also the desire of a growing number of investors to support projects capable of generating positive impacts on the environment and territory.

The result of the collection, closed in a few days and with significant overfunding, reinforces the startup's position in the renewable energy landscape. In fact, Donnalucata represents the largest project ever developed by GridShare, a high-efficiency plant designed to maximize energy production and integrate with local agricultural activities through a model Agrivoltaic advanced.

Donnalucata: an ideal territory for solar production

One of the main reasons for the success of the project lies in the choice of the location where the plant will be built. Donnalucata, a hamlet of Scicli in the province of Ragusa, is located in one of the sunniest areas in Italy. The annual average of about 2700 hours of radiation places the territory among those with the most favorable conditions for the production of photovoltaic energy. To give a comparative reference, this is a value of about 40 percent higher than in areas of the North such as Milan.

This feature makes it possible to optimize each kilowatt installed, increasing plant productivity and contributing to the stability of revenues over time. In a market like the Italian one, where climate variability can affect the results of renewable plants, a territory with such regular sunshine represents a decisive competitive factor.

An expected production of more than 6 million kWh per year

The Donnalucata solar park will have a nominal power of 3.3 MW and will produce about 6,200,000 kWh per year. This amount of energy is sufficient to meet the electricity needs of about 2000 Italian families. The figure assumes an even more significant value if inserted in the national context, where the drive towards energy self-sufficiency and the diversification of sources has become strategic.

The plant will help increase the share of solar energy available in the grid, in a territory that already plays a key role in the expansion of renewables in the South.

Agrivoltaic: a model that combines energy and agriculture

In addition to energy aspects, Donnalucata stands out for its choice of agrivoltaic, an approach that allows energy production and agricultural activities to be integrated in the same land. A far from marginal element in an area, such as that of Ragusa, characterized by a deep-rooted agricultural vocation and quality productions.

Why is agrivoltaic a strategic solution

Agrivoltaic energy offers concrete advantages both environmentally and economically. The panel structures, installed so that the underlying soil remains cultivable, make it possible to:

1. optimize land use, reducing land consumption and preserving existing agricultural activities
2. protect crops from excessive solar radiation, mitigating the effects of climate change
3. reduce emissions, with an estimated environmental benefit of about 85,000 tons of CO2 avoided during the life cycle of the plant

For an informative comparison, this is the equivalent of about 3 million trees planted. Numbers that confirm the importance of agrivoltaic plants as a tool to combine energy transition, land protection and continuity of rural activities.

The use of advanced technologies

To maximize production, the project will use monoaxial trackers, devices that follow the movement of the Sun from east to west throughout the day. This solution can increase plant efficiency by up to 20 percent compared to fixed panels, increasing the energy generated without expanding the occupied area.

The agrivoltaic design of the park was developed in collaboration with Regran, a technical partner already involved in the previous Ragusa project. The choice of a specialized operator guarantees design, agronomic monitoring and management of the plant in line with the most recent MASE regulations and guidelines dedicated to the sector.

An affordable investment with stable returns

The success of the crowdfunding campaign is not only due to environmental and technological aspects. The project also offers an interesting investment opportunity, particularly suitable for small savers looking for alternative instruments compared to traditional financial products.

An incentive rate that stabilizes revenues

The Donnalucata solar park obtained from the MASE a fixed incentive rate of 78.62 euros per MWh for the first 20 years of operation. This mechanism makes it possible to stabilize the flow of revenues, reducing exposure to the volatility of the price of energy.

According to the estimates communicated to investors, the first revenues are expected in 2027, that is, two years after the end of the campaign. The expected gross return is 7.5 percent per year, destined to grow in the long term to an estimated average of 10.5 percent over the entire life cycle of the plant (about 30 years).

In the retail investment landscape, characterized today by low-yield instruments and inflation that erodes real profitability, these values are particularly competitive, even considering the presence of normal risks associated with any business activity.

Tax benefits for investors

The investors who participated in the campaign were also able to take advantage of tax breaks dedicated to innovative startups, which provide for a 30 percent personal income tax deduction on the share invested in the share of the share capital. An advantage that reduces the actual outlay incurred by the saver and improves the risk-return profile of the transaction.

A campaign closed in record time

The campaign, hosted on CrowdFundMe, has registered a very large following, with retail and professional investors. Among the latter are Fastweb and Founders Factory, companies that have recognized the potential of the model developed by GridShare and have decided to support its future growth. The collection ended with overfunding, confirming confidence in the project and the growing attractiveness of investments related to photovoltaic energy.

The role of large photovoltaic plants in the Italian energy future

Donnalucata's project comes at a stage in which utility scale photovoltaic is destined to play a decisive role in the country's energy security and independence. According to European objectives, Italy will have to significantly increase the share of energy produced from renewable sources by 2030. Medium and large systems, such as the one developed by GridShare, are essential to achieve this goal.

Furthermore, in recent years, interest has grown in widespread investment models that make it possible for citizens to participate directly in the energy transition. Operations such as that of Donnalucata and, in general, of the other projects of GridShare show how it is possible to democratize access to projects of industrial importance, expanding the audience of subjects involved and consolidating a more conscious energy culture.