Italy speeds up permits for solar up to 200kW, allocates €267 million for rebates

The Italian government has published a new package of measures, the DL Energia decree, in order to reduce energy bills for Italian households and businesses.

The new provisions include an extreme simplification of permits to install commercial rooftop PV systems with a capacity of between 50kW and 200kW, which in Italy are allowed to operate under the country’s net metering scheme, known as the “Scambio sul posto.”

From May, enterprises will only be allowed to begin the deployment of a rooftop solar array by using just one application form. The so-called “Modello Unico Semplificato” form is commonly used for ordinary building maintenance. This procedure was previously only granted to owners of PV systems with installed capacities of up to 50kW.

The Italian government has also decided to allocate €267 million ($294 million) to help small- and medium-sized enterprises to deploy PV systems for self-consumption. The funds will be used for rebates that will help businesses cover some of the costs to buy and install the solar arrays.

Fiscal sweeteners will also be granted to enterprises operating in the southern Italian regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardegna and Sicilia. The incentives will be provided to companies that decide to reduce their energy bills by investing in solar or energy efficiency.