Since 2008, Loccioni (world leader in mechatronics and automated robotic systems) has transformed its factories and residential buildings into Italy’s first eco-sustainable community with zero carbon pollution, the “Community of Leaves”.
The hidden valley of Valle dell’Essino near Ancona is an area rich in history and natural resources, an ideal place for Locconi and local authorities to work together to protect and enhance the valley’s heritage while creating jobs.
Loccioni has become a hub for business and technology in the region, a great example of how technology can be used to create a sustainable life. Here, people live in carbon-neutral housing, commute in electric cars, and commute to work in facilities powered by renewable energy sources.
The Leaf Society is a laboratory that focuses on future agriculture, such as digitally controlled beehives, experimental models to measure the health of farmland or smart irrigation systems for crops.
The electricity required for industrial operations is produced by a mix of resources, including photovoltaic panels on office roofs, hydroelectric plants along the nearby Esino River, and biomass pyrogasification (heating waste to produce biogas). ) to provide heat to the whole community.
Energy systems form a so-called “smart grid” network, where excess energy in one area (eg, solar energy) can offset deficits in another. Excess power can be stored in batteries that are inefficient enough for electric vehicles, meaning nothing goes to waste.
These interconnected systems could become the blueprint for many other communities around the world as engineers look for new ways to combat the climate crisis and transition to a carbon-neutral society.
Valle di San Clemente
Italy’s Valle di San Clemente is home to the Smart Land Project, a public-private initiative to enhance the valley’s historical, cultural and agricultural heritage. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Energy islands
These “mobile” labs are energy islands consisting of photovoltaic panels and interconnected storage tanks. Thanks to smart management of power flow and peak power, almost all consumption is recovered and transferred to the grid. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Medical robots
Apoteca Chemo Medical Robot Trial Phase; An automated system for the preparation of intravenous chemotherapy drugs at the Loccioni Laboratory in Ancona, Italy. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Natural energy sources
Hydroelectric power plant on the Esino River in Angeli di Rosora, Ancona, Italy. Two hydraulic banks inside the building, built in 2013, use the flow of water to generate electricity for the Leaf community. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Abbey restoration
View of the church of Sant’Urbano, Macerata, Apiro, Italy. Recently restored as a result of a local initiative to preserve and improve the Valle di San Clemente, the church is now considered the heart of tourism in the valley. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
High-tech beehive
In this photo, a weather station and digital sensor system in the San Clemente Valley monitor beehives, another element of the Smart Land Project. Sensors allow beekeepers to view hive parameters without moving, monitor hive weight, analyze weather conditions, fertility, and bee quality of life. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Factory floor
Testing and production laboratories of Loccioni Laboratories. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
More pictures Science concentration:
Burning power
In this pyrogasizer, waste is burned at high temperatures. This process produces biogas, which is used to heat all local buildings. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
Sunset
A view of the Leaf Park solar facility in the San Clemente Valley in Macerata, Italy. The energy produced by these solar panels supplies science projects at Lockoni. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
The soil is carefully monitored
A prototype soil erosion analysis system for agricultural fields in the San Clemente Valley, Italy. The prototype consists of a mobile device that can be used in different terrains and geomorphological conditions. Photo by Luigi Avantagiato
