Areas suitable for renewables: the corrective decree redraws the national framework.

The regulation of areas suitable for renewables is entering a crucial phase. With the recent corrective decree , the government has chosen to revise and make binding the criteria by which Regions and Autonomous Provinces must identify the areas where photovoltaic and wind power can be authorized more quickly.

This move aims to eliminate uncertainty, reduce authorization times, and ensure that land-use planning is aligned with national and European clean energy goals.

The result is a more uniform and readable regulatory framework , which introduces precise constraints but also new opportunities for the development of RES plants.

More uniform criteria and clearer limits: what really changes

The decree addresses aspects that in recent years have created marked differences between regions. Among the key points:

• Green priority areas: degraded areas, disused quarries, industrial areas, and infrastructure already occupied by railway or motorway networks are automatically considered eligible.
• Agricultural areas : new rules and limited margins: the installation of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems is limited: it is permitted mainly in repowering projects or on already used surfaces, while the Regions will be able to allocate only a limited quota of UAA (from 0.8% to 3%) to the construction of new systems.
• Buffer zones for landscape and cultural heritage : 500 meters for photovoltaic systems, up to 3 km for wind power.
• Clear compliance times : Regions have 120 days to implement the new criteria uniformly across the country.

These elements more clearly define which projects can benefit from simplified authorization processes and which, instead, require more in-depth analysis.

A direct impact on design strategies

For designers, installers, and energy sector operators, the new framework impacts preliminary project decisions, sizing, and feasibility assessments.

Greater regulatory clarity allows plant development to be directed immediately towards more suitable sites with lower authorization risks, also promoting redevelopment and repowering interventions.

At the same time, constraints on agricultural land require a more technical and integrated approach: exploitation of non-productive land, coordination with territorial plans, architectural integration solutions, and synergies with HVAC technologies and energy efficiency.

From the norm to the energy system: a push for the transition

Identifying suitable areas is one of the most important tools for accelerating the spread of renewables . With this corrective measure, the legislator is attempting to overcome the fragmentation and slowdowns that have impacted authorization times in recent years, offering the sector a more stable framework for investment and planning.

For the air conditioning and energy sector, the new framework opens up the possibility of more efficiently integrating photovoltaics, storage, heat pumps, and hybrid solutions into building and industrial projects, contributing to a more modern, competitive, and sustainable energy system.