Despite being universally recognized as the land of the sun, the underutilization of natural renewable resources is one of the gaps Sicily faces compared to other regions, ranking only fifth in national production, despite benefiting from solar radiation more than 30% higher than the European average. This results in yet another delay compared to the rest of Italy. However, this situation should allow Sicily to play a decisive role in the energy planning supported by the European Union in the coming years.
The Most Numerous Installations
The region with the most installations is currently Lombardy, with over 135,000 devices, followed by Veneto with 124,000 and Emilia Romagna with 91,000. The island, with its 56,193 installations, ranks only sixth. Among the most powerful plants, those in Puglia, capable of exceeding 2,000 MW, are at the top, followed by Lombardy and Veneto, while Sicily only ranks fifth.
Growing Production
In 2019 alone, Italy’s gross photovoltaic production increased from 22,654 to 23,689 GWh, mainly due to contributions from certain regions that incentivized growth. Leading the rankings is Puglia, with about 3,621 GWh, followed by Lombardy and Emilia Romagna. Veneto and Sicily, tied with Piedmont, are outside the podium. Given the island’s recognized potential, this placement is undoubtedly a setback.
The Salina Energy Transition Workshop
During the 2020 meeting, the island was identified by the European Community as a minor island for the European transition experiment, a project involving Enel and the Energy Department of the Sicilian Region, favoring liquefied natural gas over oil, with the use of vehicles powered by liquefied diesel and trucks and cars using gas derived from organic materials. Meanwhile, other previously industrialized areas, such as the Gela petrochemical plant, are reorganizing with photovoltaic panels blending into the environment. The goal is to seize the opportunity provided by the EU, ready to support investments focused on energy savings and clean energy production.
Ciesse and Solar Energy
At Ciesse, we’ve always looked towards this direction of the future, designing and managing energy systems that generate energy from renewable sources, where the power of nature is transformed into clean energy, respecting the land and its people. We take care of everything, from the site inspection to the disposal of obsolete systems, aiming to deliver “turnkey” installations to our clients.
The sun is an opportunity in every sense. Don’t waste it!