Italy deploys 2.61 GW of solar in H1

Renewable energy installations in Italy returned to growth in the second quarter of 2026, rising 14% year on year after six months of contraction. The rebound was driven almost entirely by solar, which grew 18%, according to renewable energy association ANIE Rinnovabili, citing data from Italian grid operator Terna.

Italy connected 83,791 new renewable energy systems in the first half of 2026, totaling 2,918 MW of capacity. Solar accounted for around 90% of the new capacity, with 83,732 systems totaling 2,610.9 MW. Wind followed with 295.2 MW, bioenergy with 7.4 MW and hydropower with 5.4 MW.

Solar capacity additions rose 18% year on year, while wind and hydropower declined 22% and 73%, respectively. Bioenergy additions increased 94%, albeit from low and uneven volumes.

Performance varied across solar market segments. Residential installations continued to slow for the third consecutive year, falling 22% from the previous quarter and 20% year on year. The commercial and industrial (C&I) segment remained broadly stable, rising 1% quarter on quarter and 8% on a rolling 12-month basis.

Utility-scale installations declined 12% from the first quarter. Installations of projects larger than 10 MW, however, surged 197% quarter on quarter, following limited activity in the first quarter, and increased 12% on a rolling 12-month basis.

Italy added 1,523 MW of solar in the second quarter, up from 1,395 MW in the first quarter, representing a 9% quarter-on-quarter increase. The additions brought cumulative installed solar capacity to approximately 46.8 GW at the end of June.

ANIE Rinnovabili also highlighted significant regional differences. Puglia, Sicily and Lazio remained among Italy’s most active regions, supported by large-scale projects, while deployment in Lombardy and Veneto continued to be driven by small- and medium-sized solar installations.

Italy needs to add another 3.3 GW of renewable energy capacity in the second half of 2026 to meet its annual target of 8.3 GW, roughly matching deployment during the first six months of the year.

ANIE Rinnovabili said the target remains within reach, but meeting it would exhaust the buffer accumulated between 2021 and 2025. That would leave Italy with little margin as annual deployment requirements rise to 10 GW in 2027, 11 GW in 2028, 13 GW in 2029 and 15 GW in 2030.

“The last two years have been a particularly complex period for the renewable energy sector,” said Andrea Cristini, president of ANIE Rinnovabili, citing “profound legislative and regulatory changes” as a source of uncertainty.

The association called for measures to address permitting bottlenecks, accelerate environmental assessments for 13 GW of projects awaiting review by the Prime Minister’s Office, and establish a stable and predictable regulatory framework for the next four years.