Ministry of Economic Development finally approves new Italian feed-in tariff "Conto Energia" and regional authorization guidelines

Sometimes it is worth waiting and finally a long wait comes to an end: On the 9th of July 2010, the Italian ministry of economic development officially announced the approval of the new PV feed-in tariffs and of regional guidelines for renewable power plants. Starting 2011, the third "Conto Energia" will gradually reduce the tariffs (18% to 20% in three reduction steps for the year 2011 as illustrated below and for 2012 and 2013 another 6% per annum), reducing the impact on the consumer's electric bills. The national guidelines give general rules about the approval procedure for building and operating power plants driven by renewable energies in order to coordinate the sector and grant a similar development in all Italian regions.

Source: Italian ministry of Economic Development, translation and summary: PHOTON (all rights reserved)

Other Sources and where to read more about this topic:

edilportale.com | Articles 1, 2, 3 | Authors: Rossella Calabrese et al. (all rights reserved);
APER | http://www.aper.it/newsite/images/stories/cstampa/2010/com_stampa_16-2010_l.g%20e%20c.pdf (all rights reserved).

The complete press release of  Italian ministry of Economic Development can be viewed using the following links:

http://www.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it/pdf_upload/comunicati/phpcL4ra7.pdf

http://www.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it/pdf_upload/documenti/lineeguidaenergia/lineeguidaenergia.pdf

PV incentives in Italy — Italian government to discuss new incentives for solar energy on July 8th

According to a recent press release by Italian Government and photon-international.com on the 8th of July 2010, the central and regional governments in Italy will discuss, among other things, future incentives for solar energy. After the first two incentive programs, named respectively “Conto Energia” and “Nuovo Conto Energia”, the future “Conto Energia” is expected to be designed. As reported before on this Blog there circulated already several drafts for such new PV incentives regime to be expected for the next three years in Italy.

Sources: Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Translation and summary: PHOTON (all rights reserved)

The complete press release can be viewed in PHOTON's archive using the following link:

http://www.photon-international.com/newsletter/document/27453.pdf

Conto energia 2011+

As is known, Italian PV market currently suffers market uncertainty, because it is still not clear what exactly the new tariffs incentive after 2010 will be. Even though the Ministerial Decree of 19 February 2007 which established the Nuovo Conto Energia Bill has announced several times to provide a tariff revision 2011, down to the present day there was no new ministerial decree or binding decision by Italian government.

The three Italian PV associations GIFI ANIE, APER and ASSOSOLARE, decided to take action and have developed a common understanding and shared inherent in the revision of the Energy Bill 2011. Their proposal was sent to the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Environment.

The proposal includes:

1. New feed-in tariff shall be valid for five years (2011-2015) and the total power to reached through new incentives in this five-year period shall be raised from 1.200 to 8.000 MWp;
2. New feed-in tariff shall only have a decrease of 4% per year, starting from July 2012, after the incentive came into force in 2011, with the aim of underpinning the market towards the "grid parity";
3. Reformulation of the subdivision for power classes into new groupings: 1-6 kW, 6-20 kW, 20-200 kW 200-1.000 kW and over 1.000 kW;
4. Adoption of only two types of installation and simpler: "on earth" and "on building"; and
5. Special provision of special bonuses:

• for total architectural integration of photovoltaics (+15%);
• for installation in areas affected by environmental as quarries and landfill at the end of life cycle (+10%); as well as
• for the replacement of asbestos roofing and Eternit (+10%).

Here is the table of new incentive rates as proposed common of GIFI ANIE, APER and ASSOSOLARE:

Classi di Potenza kWp	Impianti a Terra €/kWh (vs. 2010)	Impianti su Edificio €/kWh
1-6	0,365 (-5%)	0,401 (-5%)
6-20	0,339 (-7%)	0,375 (-7%)
20-200	0,313 (-9%)	0,330 (-14%)
200-1.000	0,304 (-12%)	0,323 (-16%)
> 1.000	0,297 (-14%)	0,315 (-18%)

Sources: pienosole.it, GIFI ANIE, APER, ASSOSOLARE.

The mother of all questions

<<When exactly in 2010 will Italy 

reach the 1.200.000 kWp?>>