Naples, November 10 – Valle d’Aosta is the most “virtuous” region, while Piedmont is the top producer of photovoltaic energy in Italy. This is established by a study conducted by ACEPER (Association of Consumers and Producers of Renewable Energy), an association that includes 10,000 renewable energy production plants, representing over 7,000 members with a total installed capacity exceeding 2 GWp.

The study was carried out on a large sample of 5,236 photovoltaic plants located in 17 Italian regions. A region’s “virtue” is measured by the ratio between actual photovoltaic production and expected photovoltaic production, where the expected production is estimated according to the official measurement tool PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System). This program allows for an accurate calculation of the plant’s production, including projections for future years, considering variables such as installation location, month of interest, tilt, and orientation.

According to ACEPER’s rankings, the Aosta Valley leads as the most virtuous region with 960,391 kWh (kilowatt-hours) produced and an expected production, according to PVGIS, of 1,011,502 kWh, resulting in a ratio of 95% between actual and expected production. Emilia Romagna is in second place, with 37,939,525 kWh produced and 43,840,630 kWh expected (an 87% ratio), followed by Piedmont in third place with 139,917,414 kWh produced and 162,741,031 kWh expected (an 86% ratio), though Piedmont is clearly the top region for photovoltaic kWh production.

Three regions have an 85% ratio: Abruzzo, with 20,100,052 kWh produced and 23,625,127 kWh expected; Liguria, with 5,187,522 kWh produced and 6,108,499 kWh expected; and Lombardy, the second-highest region for photovoltaic production with 66,305,239 kWh produced and 78,089,977 kWh expected. Veneto follows, with 49,221,066 kWh produced and 58,691,563 kWh expected (an 84% ratio), making it the third-highest region for production.

The Marche region, with 20,328,123 kWh produced and 24,622,400 kWh expected (an 83% ratio), ranks ahead of Tuscany, with 5,830,869 kWh produced and 7,263,032 kWh expected (an 80% ratio). Molise, with 1,589,155 kWh produced and 2,000,284 kWh expected, and Puglia, with 18,459,422 kWh produced and 23,406,458 kWh expected, both have a 79% ratio, while Umbria, with 21,396,944 kWh produced and 27,506,185 kWh expected, has a 78% ratio.

Next are Sicily (2,325,953 kWh produced, 3,144,591 kWh expected, and a 74% ratio), Lazio (16,105,440 kWh produced, 22,635,310 kWh expected, and a 71% ratio), Campania (13,893,494 kWh produced, 19,822,080 kWh expected, and a 70% ratio), Sardinia (49,792 kWh produced, 71,369 kWh expected, and a 70% ratio), and Basilicata, which rounds out the list with 4,171,443 kWh produced, 6,836,095 kWh expected, and a 61% ratio.

“This research also considers the average production ratio of ACEPER members between actual kWh produced and kWh expected according to PVGIS, which stands at a satisfactory 79% for plants maintained and revamped by ACEPER,” specifies Veronica Pitea, President of ACEPER. She adds, “However, the national average is around 65% productivity, a figure that concerns ACEPER greatly, and for which we are requesting a meeting with the government as soon as possible to understand how to bring national production to at least 85%. We need to focus on increasing the power and productivity of our plants,” concludes President Pitea, “not on how to save by lowering consumption.”