The Role of Innovative PV-Green Integrated System for Energy-Food Production in the Nexus Approach Towards Energy Transition

The energy crisis in Europe, enhanced by growing demand for fossil fuels and intensified by geopolitical tensions, puts additional pressure on an environmental context already made fragile by the increased frequency and intensity of extreme events caused by climate change. The exponential population increase, together with contemporary settlement models, also accentuates the dependence of urban areas on external primary resources. In this scenario, a need emerges to experiment with innovative approaches, strategies, and technical solutions in response to the goals of climate adaptation and mitigation and energy transition and to meet new necessities of emergent dwelling. Therefore, the integrated systemic food-energy-water nexus approach is outlined as a key response to understand and manage the interconnection between resources, external drivers of climatic, geopolitical, demographic, socioeconomic nature, and the impacts on the communities involved. In particular, it focuses on analyzing the benefits and co-benefits associated with integrated systems for food and energy self-production and self-sufficiency, to promote the efficient management of resources and ecosystem services and determine the impact on the communities involved. In conclusion, the application of systemic approaches such as the FEW nexus for the implementation of integrated systems is the basis for developing resilient solutions for urban systems, encouraging the achievement of the energy and climate standards set by international technical policies for carbon neutrality, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals set by 2030 Agenda.