Photovoltaics in Italy: The Growth

The document was created with the intent to bring energy analysis closer to current events, reducing the time between data collection and publication, and to better guide national energy policies, enabling the country’s system to respond to ongoing changes.

The growth is mainly driven by small-scale plants, those under 20 kW, which have benefited from tax incentives, such as the 110% super bonus, and increased cost-effectiveness given the rising energy prices. The increase in operational photovoltaic capacity aligns with the strategy outlined in the National Energy Plan (Pniec), which aims to reach a target of 51 GW by 2030.

Since the beginning of the year, our country has installed over 12,000 photovoltaic systems, both large and small, totaling 1.6 GW of new solar capacity. Compared to 2021, this represents a 7.1% growth, contributing to an energy production of just under 24 TWh, with a 12% increase compared to the first half of 2021.

The Gse document also provides information on land use. Only 35% of Italy’s photovoltaic power comes from ground-mounted systems, while the remaining 65% comes from systems installed on buildings, roofs, and coverings. Just under half of the installations belong to the industry, including energy-producing companies. The remaining half is divided among the tertiary sector with 20%, residential with 18%, and agriculture with 11%.

The Photovoltaic Rankings in Italy

The study, conducted on a sample of 5,236 photovoltaic systems in 17 Italian regions, also names Valle d’Aosta as the most efficient region for solar power production, followed by Emilia Romagna and Piedmont. To evaluate the efficiency of a region, the ratio between actual production and expected production is checked, with the latter estimated according to the official measurement tool, the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS).

The Aceper ranking places Valle d’Aosta at the top as the most virtuous region, with 960,391 kWh actually produced and an expected production of 1,011,502 kWh, yielding a 95% ratio between actual and expected production. Emilia Romagna reaches the second step of the podium with 37,939,525 kWh produced out of an expected 43,840,630 kWh. Piedmont is in third place with 139,917,414 kWh produced out of an expected 162,741,031 kWh. Lastly, Lombardy ranks second for photovoltaic production with 66,305,239 kWh produced and 78,089,977 kWh expected, and Veneto with 49,221,066 kWh produced out of 58,691,563 kWh expected, ranking as the third Italian region for production.