Italy Installed Over 936 MW New Solar

• Italia Solare says Italy installed 936.38 MW new solar PV capacity in 2021, growing from 686 MW in 2020
• On cumulative basis, the additions grew to exceed 22.56 GW with 56% of this capacity registered in the form of systems ranging between 20 kW and 1 MW
• In terms of geographical spread, Puglia had the highest capacity at the end of 2021 with 2.94 GW, followed by Lombardy with 2.71 GW and Emilia Romagna with 2.269 GW

At the end of 2021, Italy's cumulative installed solar PV capacity reached over 22.56 GW with the addition of 936.38 MW within the last year, according to local solar association Italia Solare.

The statistics are based on the data updated by the national transmission system operator Terna. On annual basis, the 2021 numbers went up 36% from 686 MW, yet it missed the GW level yet again.

Maximum quarterly additions during 2021 were recorded in Q4/2021 with 268 MW, having gone up from 262 MW in the previous quarter, 232 MW in Q2/2021 and 175 MW in the 1^st quarter of 2021. In comparison, it installed 155 MW in Q4/2021.

Of the cumulative installed capacity of the country, 56% came from systems between 20 kW and 1 MW capacity, says Italia Solare. Puglia region ranks highest with the largest amount of solar installed at the end of 2021 with 2.94 GW, followed by Lombardy with 2.71 GW and Emilia Romagna with 2.269 GW.

Italia Solare also shares the aggregate installed energy storage systems of the country as having reached 734.94 MWh, out of which 720.36 MWh comes from lithium-ion batteries and remaining 10 MWh of lead batteries. Lombardy leads this segment with 162.93 MWh, followed by Veneto with 116.25 MWh and Emilia-Romagna with 82.20 MWh.

A country with immense potential for solar power, Italy is lagging behind its peers in Europe mostly due to its lengthy bureaucratic processes that delay the renewable energy transition.

Additionally, the Italian renewable energy industry was recently up in arms against the government's Law Decree 04/2022 which fixed a reference feed-in-premium tariff for projects over 20 kW capacity till December 31, 2022 (see 'Clawback' Measures Against RE In Italy).

On March 1, 2022, the government came out with another Decree Law n. 17 under which it has attempted to simplify the installation of rooftop solar by doing away with lengthy permitting process for the same. However, there will be restrictions on installing panels for certain buildings, as those with heritage value.

The decree was published in the Official Journal of the country and can be read on its website.