During the last decade, the cumulated number of photovoltaic systems grew more than tenfold. The residential sector shows the highest penetration rate. With reference to installed capacity, Apulia and Lombardy are the regions contributing the most to this growth. Grid-connected centralized systems are more widespread, whereas off-grid installations are less common.
As soon as the sector expanded, the number of companies operating along the photovoltaic chain increased and the Pv installation price fell accordingly all over the world. This trend was also visible in Italy, where the price of residential, commercial, and ground-mounted PV systems decreased more significantly between 2011 and 2013. The price of photovoltaic modules dropped as well. It is very likely that this scenario made PV systems more affordable, yet roughly 50 percent of Italians consider the conversion to solar energy too expensive. Nonetheless, they prioritize PV installations among other home efficiency improvements.
Against this background, it is interesting to observe also the economic outcomes that the development of the PV sector brought about. Several KPIs, such as primary market value, investments and value added reveal that photovoltaics are a cornerstone of the Italian energy strategy. The forecasts about GVA and the number of employees show that the impact on the economy is going to be even more substantial in the next three years. The increasing interest towards energy storage solutions also suggests that the market of PV system batteries will have some economic fallouts.
Undoubtedly, PV technology has great potential in terms of economic and environmental impact. Solar power is deemed as the energy source of the future by Italian people and their energy choices are certainly decisive. However, consumer behavior is affected by external factors too. In this case, governmental institutions play a crucial role with their decisions about incentives and simplified procedures to foster the usage of solar energy.
