Italy
Italy has been involved with all aspects of the development
of photovoltaic energy since the early 1980’s. Research
on materials and power plant operation and analysis
have been undertaken and by end-1994 the country was
ranked first in Europe with 14.1 MWp of installed
PV capacity. However, during the second half of the
1990’s, the coincidence of the German Federal Government’s
strong support of its solar energy sector together
with the privatisation of Italy’s electricity industry
and the changing role of governmental bodies resulted
in rapidly increasing German capacity and only very
modest growth in Italy. Whilst Germany achieved an
increase of 52 MWp between end-1995 and end-1999,
Italy only increased its installed capacity by 3 MWp.
Moreover, exports of modules also declined. By end-1999
Italy’s installed capacity stood at 18.5 MWp.
The Vasto plant, consisting of a 1 MWp array, financed
by the VALOREN Project of the European Union and the
Italian region of Abruzzo was the first large modular
PV power plant in Europe. The 3.3 MWp PV at Serre
in central southern Italy, in operation since mid-1994,
is the largest grid-connected PV power station in
Europe.
The government originally launched its 5-year "10
000 roof-top" programme in 1998 but delays followed
and it finally got under way in March 2001. The programme
foresees the rationalisation of PV plants in the range
of 1-50 kWp, grid-connected and integrated on roofs
and facades. It will be implemented in two phases.
It is expected that the first phase will see 10 000
systems, totalling 50 MWp and, depending on the results
of this phase, a second phase for an additional 40
000 systems totalling 200 MWp. During 2001 three projects
will be implemented: PV plants for public buildings,
for private customers and for integration in large
buildings with special architectural features. During
2000, 1 MWp installed capacity was added and it expected
that a further 5 MWp will be added in 2001 and 10
MWp in 2002.
Communities, isolated from a local grid or where environmental
restrictions apply, have been served by the introduction
of off-grid installations (59% of total capacity at
end-1999). On-grid centralised installations accounted
for 36% of installed capacity at end-1999 and on-grid
distributed for 5%.
The country possesses one of the largest PV module
manufacturers in Europe: Eurosolare - with a production
capacity of approximately 2.7 MWp/year per shift.
At the end of 2000 a large solar thermal power programme
was launched in Italy.
Country Notes
(SOLAR ENERGY)
Australia || Canada
|| China
|| France
|| Germany
|| India
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|| Israel
|| Italy
|| Japan
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(Republic) || Mexico
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Africa || Spain
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