On Tuesday 18 May, the seminar, hosted by the Experimental Flight Centre, was warmly received by industry professionals. The day was opened by Air Force General Giuseppe Marani, Logistics Commander. The event aimed to provide a practical overview examining the various aspects of the topic from all angles – technical, legal and administrative – whilst presenting the most advanced technological solutions offered by the industry, with a view to helping identify the most effective solutions. Considerations regarding energy saving – which has now become an absolute necessity even for the Armed Forces – were highlighted by both General Marani and Air Force General (ret.) Mario Majorani, President of ANUA. A practical approach to identifying applications within the Armed Forces was provided by Brigadier-General Carlo Peluso, serving at the Directorate-General for Public Works and State Property (GENIODIFE) and Chairman of the Permanent Working Group on the Use of Military Sites, who, in his presentation ‘Use of Military Sites: Experiences and Programmes of the Air Force’, outlined the Ministry of Defence’s objectives regarding the reduction of energy consumption, cost-effectiveness and environmental protection. The results of a study commissioned by the Logistics Commander, aimed at assessing potential interference with flight operations should photovoltaic systems be installed on airport sites, were presented by three officers from the CSV: Lieutenant Colonel Dario Di Blasio of the Aeronautical and Space Medicine Department, Lieutenant Colonel Enrico Dati of the Chemical Department and Major Luigi Borghi of the Experimental Flight Department. Reflection models from photovoltaic surfaces were presented, along with a characterisation of the extent of reflection, which was also validated by field measurements and supplemented by a dynamic simulation on an airport site. The correlation with the glare effect was discussed following an in-depth presentation on the physiology of the human eye and visual acuity. This was followed by an explanation of methodologies and guidelines aimed at mitigating potential interference.
As reiterated by General Marani, this study is a first approach to evaluating the near future of alternative and renewable energy sources within military sites. The seminar then continued in the afternoon with a series of presentations from companies (ISCOM SpA, UNI-SOLAR, EVOLVE Srl, ICQ Holding SpA, EFI Technology Esco Srl). The CSV is structured into four departments: Experimental Flight Department (RSV), Chemical Department (RC), Armament Department (RA), and Aeronautical and Space Medicine Department (RMAS), and the Interforce Range of Salto di Quirra.
