In just nine months, the photovoltaic capacity installed in our country has nearly tripled compared to the same period in 2021.

This data was certified by the Energy Services Manager (GSE) in its first quarterly report on Italy’s energy situation. The document was created to bring energy analysis closer to current events, reduce the time between data collection and publication, and better guide national energy policies, allowing the country to respond to ongoing changes.

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

2022, the year of the photovoltaic boom

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

The GSE document also provides some information on land use. Only 35% of Italy’s photovoltaic capacity 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 rest is divided among the tertiary sector (20%), residential (18%), and agriculture (11%).

Piedmont leads in production, Valle d’Aosta most efficient region

Piedmont is the region that produces the most electricity from photovoltaics, followed by Lombardy and Veneto. This is according to research by the Association of Renewable Energy Consumers and Producers (Aceper), which brings together 10,000 renewable energy production plants, representing over 7,000 members with a total installed capacity exceeding 2 GWp.

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 assess a region’s efficiency, the ratio of actual to expected production is checked, with the latter estimated using the official Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) measurement tool.

Aceper’s 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 according to PVGIS measurement, with a 95% ratio between actual and expected production. Emilia Romagna takes second place with 37,939,525 kWh produced out of an expected 43,840,630 kWh. Piedmont is third with 139,917,414 kWh produced out of an expected 162,741,031 kWh. Finally, Lombardy, second in photovoltaic production with 66,305,239 kWh produced out of an expected 78,089,977 kWh, and Veneto, with 49,221,066 kWh produced out of an expected 58,691,563 kWh, rank as the third region in Italy for production.