This is where the Glint Solar Italian dataset becomes a strategic asset. Our layers are designed to support developers in every decision, transforming preliminary analysis into a rapid and efficient process.
Our data library offers immediate access to crucial information, including:
1. Grid Infrastructure: power lines and substations.
2. Land Data: cadastral parcels.
3. Regulation and Restrictions: environmental, landscape, and administrative constraints.
4. RSE Atlas Integration: a clear view of regional energy consumption and "suitable areas" (aree idonee) for ground-mounted solar, rooftop PV, and wind power.
Glint Solar provides a consolidated database at both national and regional levels, which already integrates provincial details in key areas, with plans to progressively extend this coverage across the entire country.
Wooded Areas and Protected Areas – Law 979/1982 and Law No. 394/91 (CDDA and Non-CDDA)
Wooded areas (Aree Boscate) are forest territories under landscape protection in accordance with Legislative Decree 42/2004 (Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape). Specifically, they fall under the constraints established by Art. 142 due to their significant ecological and cultural value. Mapping these areas is essential for anticipating the need for landscape authorizations and assessing regulatory limits on land transformation.
In addition to this protection, the Protected Areas layer identifies the natural heritage conservation system established by Law 979/1982 (for marine protection) and Law 394/1991 (Framework Law on Protected Areas). This dataset includes national parks, nature reserves, marine protected areas, and local parks of supracommunal interest (PLIS), covering both the European Natura 2000 network (CDDA) and non-CDDA areas.
While wooded areas often require aesthetic and forestry compatibility checks, these protected zones are generally subject to Absolute Constraints (Vincoli Assoluti), where development is typically precluded or strictly limited. In such cases, any project requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (VInA) to ensure that the development does not jeopardize the specific conservation objectives of the site.
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "Aree boscate" (SITAP) & "Aree protette - Legge 979/1982 e Legge n. 394/91 (CDDA e Non-CDDA)" (PiTESAI)
SITAP Constraints
SITAP is the official system of the Italian Ministry of Culture that maps all areas protected for their landscape value. This dataset includes the constraints established by the Code of Cultural Heritage (Legislative Decree 42/2004), distinguishing between areas protected by law (Ope Legis) and those designated by specific administrative decrees.
This information layer allows you to immediately visualize:
1. Coastal zones and water bodies: buffer zones near the sea, rivers, and lakes.
2. Natural areas: woods, forests, and parks.
3. Mountainous and specialized zones: mountains (above 1200/1600 meters), volcanoes, and wetlands.
Consulting this layer is essential for identifying areas that require special authorizations (landscape permits) or face specific construction limits, helping you avoid sites with high regulatory constraints.
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "SITAP: Vincoli D.Lgs. 42/2004 c.d. Ope Legis" (SITAP)
Flood Hazard (ISPRA v. 5.0)
This information layer provides the ISPRA national mosaic (version 5.0 - 2020), which unifies the flood hazard datasets from the various District Basin Authorities. The mapping reflects the three probability scenarios defined by the Flood Directive (Legislative Decree 49/2010):
P1 - Low Hazard: Rare floods or extreme event scenarios.
P2 - Medium Hazard: Infrequent floods (return periods between 100 and 200 years).
P3 - High Hazard: Frequent floods (return periods between 20 and 50 years).
This is an indispensable tool for immediately verifying land-use constraints and defining the design measures necessary for the safety and resilience of the plant.
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "Pericolosità alluvioni - ISPRA 2020" (ISPRA)
Primary Substations
This layer displays the presence of primary substations (Cabine Primarie) across Italy. Primary substations are critical nodes in the national power grid: they transform electricity from high voltage (HV) to medium voltage (MV) and define conventional areas, the specific zones within which energy-sharing projects can be implemented.
The interactive map, provided by the GSE (in collaboration with grid operators), displays these areas and includes several layers related to self-consumption and energy communities:
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Conventional and Modified Areas: these delineate the specific territory served by each primary substation.
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Renewable Energy Communities (REC/CER): groups of citizens, local authorities, or businesses that share renewable energy locally.
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Collective Self-Consumers: entities (e.g., apartment buildings/condominiums) that collectively use energy produced by a shared system.
- Remote Individual Self-Consumers: a single entity consuming energy from a production plant located at a different site.
Active Customers (Collective or Remote): users who manage production and consumption flexibly, including the provision of services to the grid.
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "Cabine primarie" (GSE)
Cadastral Parcels
The cadastral parcels layer represents the smallest units of land division registered within the Italian Land Registry (Catasto Terreni). Each polygon corresponds to an officially georeferenced parcel, visually identified by its parcel number (particella).
Depending on the land type, the parcel number may be categorized as follows:
Numeric: identifies standard land parcels (e.g., 123);
"Acqua" + number: identifies water bodies or hydrographic surfaces (e.g., ACQUA45);
"Strada" + number: identifies roadbeds and transport infrastructure (e.g., STRADA12).
Through the search function, comprehensive identification data is available for each parcel, including: surface area (in hectares), administrative references (region, province, and municipality), map sheet number (foglio), and parcel number (particella).
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "Parcels" (Agenzia delle Entrate)
Veneto: Network infrastructure, poles and pylons
The following is an example of the specific data layers available for the Veneto region. This dataset provides accurate details of the power grid, categorized by voltage levels (high, medium - low voltage), along with the precise location of poles and pylons.
These layers map more than just electrical supports; they also include infrastructure for telephony, telecommunications, and cableways. This integration allows for the precise identification of both potential connection points and existing infrastructure within the territory, optimizing the preliminary design phase.
Source: Glint Solar - Layer: "VEN: Linee elettriche" & "VEN: Pali e Tralicci" (Geoportale Veneto)
Layers built from real world use
All of our layers are built with practical application in mind. A significant portion of the data and its preparation is developed from us with a clear focus on usability, clarity, and relevance to real-world projects.
We work closely with our customers to continuously improve Glint Solar, ensuring the platform evolves according to the actual needs of renewable energy project development.
Beyond our pre-built data, you can easily import your own files, such as Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, GeoTIFF, as custom layers or projects. With just a few clicks, you can add essential information for site selection, combine it with existing filters, and edit it securely, knowing that your imported layers remain strictly private to your organization.
Interested in learning more about our platform and its data?
