This document describes a methodology developed in a university thesis to identify suitable areas for renewable energy plants within a municipality in Italy. The methodology analyzes energy consumption and landscape characteristics to assess areas' propensity for different types of renewable energy. It then evaluates each area's energy capability using SWOT analysis. The goal is to provide tools for policymakers to incorporate energy planning while avoiding underestimating an area's renewable energy potential and using energy sources to support ecological restoration. The methodology was developed and tested on the municipality of San Miniato but could be repeated elsewhere subject to data availability.

1. GOOD PRACTICE TEMPLATE
Landscape Propensity for Renewable Energy Plants
Title of the measure/initiative: Landscape Propensity for Renewable Energy Plants in the
Town of San Miniato (PI) (Degree Thesis 2009-2010)
Name of the organisation: Università degli Studi di Genova
Status of the organisation: University - Faculty of Architecture
Address: University of Genua
Contact person: Arch. Ciardelli Chiara (Supervisors Prof. Brancacci and Prof. Gibelli)
Phone: _____________________ Fax: _____________________
E-mail: chiarina81@yahoo.it
Web site : _____________________
Topic (multiple answers are possible)
x Public Sector
 Private Sector
 Large Industrial Buildings
x Solar Plants
 District Heating
x Wind
x Biomass
x Geothermal energy
 Energy saving
 Energy efficiency
 Energy concepts
x Other, please specify ___Territorial / Urbanistic Planning______
Stakeholders (multiple answers are possible)
 Citizens
 Households
 Property owners
x Policymakers
x Local and regional authorities
x Energy service company (ESCO’s)
x Architects and engineers
 Other, please specify ____________________________________________

2. BACKGROUND
This is a methodology useful to identify the areas more suited for the installation of renewable
energy plants within the current regulations on environmental and landscape conservation.
The specific case study in the thesis degree deals with the territory of the municipality of San
Miniato (PI) in the Tuscany Region.
OBJECTIVES
The study aims to develop new methodologies in order to take into account the energy factor
in the planning tools: the use of alternative energy sources becomes a tool for the ecological
restoration.
PROCESS
The methodology starts from the description of the landscape areas (hills, plains, riverside…)
in the territory. Then for every identified area there are the following steps:
 Analysis of energy consumption (both settlements and productions)
 Evaluation, by means of ecological indicators, of landscape integrity and
transformation propensity, both ongoing and potential
 Assessment , trough a SWOT analysis, of the energy capability of every
territorial area identified in the case study
FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND PARTNERS
This case study has been developed within a thesis degree work at the Faculty of Architecture
of University of Genua, during the 2009-2010.
RESULTS
This work aims to give to policy makers and planners some tools to evaluate the energy
component in planning phases, in order
 to avoid to mis-estimate the real capability of a territory to produce
 to use the renewable sources as a real ecological compensation
 to finally reach the energy neutrality
LESSONS LEARNED AND REPEATABILTY
The applied procedure uses urban planning indicators and SWOT analysis starting from these
indicators values; the real difficulty is often the data availability and the necessity to use
theoretical estimate values: but this point underlines more and more the importance of an
multidisciplinary approach starting from the assertion that the landscape is changing and that
energy is not only data but also landscape!

3. PHOTOS: (EXTRACT FROM THE PLANNING CARTOGRAPHY)