Italy added 187 MW of solar power capacity in the first 5 months of 2019, according to Italian renewable energy association Anie Rinnovabili. This is an increase of 22% over the same period in 2018, it said. In Q1/2019, the country installed 105 MW in total (see 105 MW New Solar For Italy In Q1/2019).
To this, additions of 34.3 MW were reported in April 2019 and 46.9 MW in May 2019. As per Anie Rinnovabili, May 2019 additions were the highest this year, growing by 28% year on year.
System ranges of 10 kW and above contributed most to the total for the first five months of 2019 with 103.8 MW; the remaining 82.8 MW came from systems below 10 kW. Residential systems of up to 20 kW capacity accounted for 57% of new power installed during the period.
Major systems installed were a plant with around 950 kW in Sicily in April 2019, while in May 2019, the largest PV plant was a 2.5 MW system in Veneto.
Regional distribution shows Lombardia coming up once again on top with 34.5 MW, followed by Veneto with 27.7 MW and Emilia Romagna with 19.5 MW.
Solar PV was the largest source of renewable energy additions in the reporting period – contributing more than half of the 324 MW installed till May 2019. The rest came from wind, hydropower and bioenergy.
First RE auction confirmed for September 30, 2019
Meanwhile, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development has officially published the new legislation for incentives for renewable energy technologies on August 9, 2019 in the official gazette. The Italian Solar Association, Associazione Italia Solare said a total of €5.8 billion ($6.49 billion) has been earmarked with the aim to incentivize 5.5 GW of solar PV, wind, hydroelectric and gas purification power plants under the country's Integrated National Plan For Energy and Climate (PNIEC).
Incentives will be provided to new and repowered plants, most importantly more than €10 ($11.2) per MWh for self-consumption systems and over €12 ($13.43) per MWh for removal of asbestos roofs.
The ministry has fixed September 30, 2019 as the date to issue the first auction call, which will be followed by further auction rounds on January 31, May 31 and September 30 in 2020 and 2021. Out of all 7 auctions to be conducted between 2019 and 2021, the first 2 auctions will offer 500 MW each, followed by 700 MW each in the next 3 auctions, 800 MW in the sixth auction and finally 1.6 GW in the last auction, bringing the total to 5.5 GW. Government entity Gestore dei Servizi Energetici will be responsible for conducting the auctions.
Details about the auctions can be read in Italy's official gazette (in Italian).
The European Commission had stamped its approval for the country's renewable energy scheme with an estimated budget of €5.4 billion in June 2019 (see EU Approves Italy's Renewable Energy Scheme).