Italy

Italy deployed more than 3.51 GW of new solar in the first nine months of 2023, bringing its cumulative installed PV capacity to 28.57 GW at the end of September, according to the national energy agency.

The European Commission has approved Italy’s €1.7 billion ($1.84 billion) incentive scheme for agrivoltaics to deploy 1.04 GW of installed solar. The nation will offer investment grants of up to 40%, along with 20-year tariffs.

Researchers have looked into the impact of potential regulated charge exemptions on two types of energy communities in 39 European countries. They have found that communities with collectively owned PV systems achieve greater savings.

Conducted by Italian scienitists, the analysis includes standards such as IEC 61727, the US EREC G83/2 Recommendations, Germany’s VDE-AR-N 4105, China’s GB/T 19964-2012 and GB/T 20,046, Italy’s CEI 0-21, Australia’s AS 4777.2, and New Zealand’s AS 4777.2 standards, as well as the United States’ IEEE 1547. 

Italian energy group Enel says it is scrapping its plans to build a hydrogen project in La Spezia, Italy, despite €13.72 million ($14.7 million) in European subsidies, while Toyota has introduced its new Crown Sedan fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in Japan.

Matteo Salvini, head of one of the parties in Italy’s coalition government, last year pointed to a future energy system based on rapidly deployed nuclear generators, sowing further doubt for renewables investors. Patrick Donati, founder of Italian independent power producer (IPP) Terrawatt, explains why nuclear will have no future in his homeland and why installing panels on a limited amount of farmland – rather than costly agrivoltaics – could be a necessary short-term climate fix.

Researchers in Italy have used protective buffer layers in perovskite solar cells to mitigate damage during the sputtering of indium tin oxide in the production process. They claim the buffer layers were able to fulfill this mission without impairing the cell’s average visible transmittance.

Solarday presented its new commercial and industrial strategy at a recent event in Milan. pv magazine Italy spoke with Solarday Sales and Marketing Director Marco Vergani about the module manufacturer’s direct participation in large-scale installations and its new line of inverters.

PV has real potential on agricultural land in Italy, where multinationals and entrepreneurs alike share an enthusiasm for solar innovation. This is being hindered by a piecemeal approach to regulation.

ENEA and Enel have developed an ‘algovoltaic’ system to cultivate high-value microalgae, ranging from €100 ($106.19)/kg to €600/kg for pharmaceutical uses or cosmetic purposes. This is possible due to the integration of a fully automated cultivation system with a 7 kW solar array.