Utility-scale solar accounted for 46% of Italy’s new PV capacity in the first nine months of 2026, says Italia Solare
Italy added 1,953 MWh of battery storage capacity during the period, including 1,486 MWh associated with solar PV systems
Industry associations are also urging the government to extend renewable energy community incentives to 2030 to accelerate project development
Italy added 4.83 GW of solar PV capacity in the first nine months of 2026, driven by utility-scale and commercial and industrial (C&I) installations, while the residential segment contracted during H1 on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, according to Italia Solare.
At the end of September 2026, Italy’s cumulative installed solar PV capacity reached 48.35 GW.
Battery energy storage, on the other hand, continued to grow particularly alongside solar PV systems, says the industry association.
The 9M new additions include 2.24 GW of solar PV capacity in the utility-scale segment, 1.7 GW in C&I, and 897 MW in the residential segment, representing 46%, 35%, and 19% of the total capacity installed, respectively.
According to Terna’s official figures, Italia Solare says Italy’s utility-scale segment expanded by 858 MW (2025: 457 MW) in Q3 2026, with 394 MW from plants between 1 MW and 10 MW; another 464 MW came from facilities over 10 MW.
The C&I segment added 543 MW (2025: 500 MW), and residential additions stood at 341 MW (2025: 312 MW). Growing interest in these segments shows that solar PV helps businesses reduce exposure to energy price fluctuations while enabling families to lower their electricity bills.
Italia Solare President Paolo Rocco Viscontini welcomed growth in the utility-scale segment but called for continued support for the distributed generation segment and self-consumption.
Most new installations during 9M 2026 were in Sicily (686 MW), followed by Lombardy (644 MW) and Piedmont (498 MW).
The battery energy storage segment also grew considerably, with total capacity reaching 8,338 MW/19,983 MWh at the end of the reporting period. Of this, 12,552 MWh is associated with solar PV systems, and 7,368 MWh with standalone solar. The remainder was installed alongside thermoelectric plants and wind power plants.
During Q3 2026, solar and storage installations grew by 252 MW/480 MWh and 31,039 systems. Compared with Q3 2025, connected capacity fell from 417 MWh, while the number of installations dropped from 32,697. Between January and September 2026, Italy’s battery energy storage additions totaled 1,953 MWh, including 1,486 MWh with solar PV systems and 467 MW standalone capacity.
Fabio Zanellini, Coordinator of the Storage Working Group at ITALIA SOLARE, said that changes in the volume and composition of solar installations highlight the growing importance of energy storage in integrating renewable energy. He stressed the need for regulatory changes to recognize the value of storage in providing flexibility and remove restrictions related to system size and grid connection voltage levels.
Italia Solare, along with other energy associations, has called for renewable energy community (REC) incentives to be extended from the current deadline of December 31, 2027 to December 31, 2030, or until Italy achieves its 5 GW incentivized capacity target, whichever comes first. This scheme offers support for renewable energy plants of up to 1 MW for a 20-year period.
As of August 31, 2026, Italy had installed 523.6 MW of capacity, representing only 10% of the 5 GW target, they claim. To be able to achieve the target, they are calling for streamlined administrative processes and greater participation from small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
