Italy experienced a notable surge in solar energy production in 2023, growing by 10.6% according to a recent report by Italian power grid operator Terna. The data reveals a substantial increase in solar PV output, with December 2023 alone witnessing a 41.1% rise compared to the same month in 2022, generating 1,198 GWh.
Contributing significantly to the nation’s electricity consumption, solar energy covered 4.8% of the overall demand, amounting to 24,869 GWh. Other renewable sources also showed positive growth, with hydropower and wind energy increasing by 40.2% and 42.1%, respectively. In contrast, thermal production experienced a decline of 22.1% from December 2022.
Breaking down December’s energy landscape, renewables played a crucial role, accounting for 38.2% hydropower, 14% solar, 28.4% wind, 14.1% biomass, and 5.3% geothermal.
Zooming out to the annual view, solar energy took the lead with 30,595 GWh, marking a 10.6% increase from the previous year.
Considering the broader spectrum of renewable energy, the overall production witnessed a robust 15.4% uptick. Clean energy collectively satisfied 36.8% of Italy’s energy demand – a notable increase from 2022’s 31%.
On the demand side, Italy’s electricity consumption decreased by 2.8% in 2023, settling at 306.1 billion kWh.
Notably, 83.3% of Italy’s electricity demand was met through domestic production, while the remainder was sourced from international energy exchanges. The net national production, totaling 257 billion kWh, recorded a 6.4% decrease over the year.
This insightful data, originally reported by Solare B2B, provides a comprehensive overview of Italy’s evolving energy landscape in 2023, highlighting the substantial growth in solar and renewable energy sectors.