210.000 New photovoltaic plants installed in Italy in 2022! Ideal support and racking structures are a key part of their success.
In 2022, an impressive 210,000 new photovoltaic systems were installed in Italy. The new National Survey Report of PV Power Applications in Italy 2022, a report prepared by GSE, RSE, ENEA and Elettricità Futura, describes a rapidly-evolving energy market with a lively and innovative photovoltaic sector undergoing significant expansion.
Compared with 2021, the number of new installations increased by 20.5%, leading to an increase of 2.5 GW in the national production capacity and setting a record number of new PV plants. This increasingly marked trend is being driven not only by significant investments, but also – and primarily – by growing numbers of small installations: fully 93% of 2022’s 210,000 new systems were small plants producing less than 20 kW. Together, these new plants generate more than 26% of the total capacity installed in 2022, while those with a capacity above 1 MW contribute 20%. That very significant figure is joined by data about installation surfaces: out of all the new installations, 2 GW of power are produced by plants installed on residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
THE RIGHT STRUCTURES MAKE PV SYSTEMS EVEN MORE CONVENIENT
In an increasingly unstable and uncertain energy market, today’s photovoltaics represent a real, sustainable and effective solution. The possibility of stabilising and levelling out the costs of electricity consumption brings many advantages – both economically and environmentally – and the number of photovoltaic installations on the roofs of houses, apartment buildings, industrial warehouses and commercial establishments is growing steadily, thanks in part to diminishing costs per kW. Although the €/kW price has risen slightly since 2020 (mainly due to instability in the costs of raw materials), at the end of 2022 the cost averaged €1.60/kW for systems below 10 kW, €1.42/kW for those between 10 and 100 kW, and €1.28/kW for those above 250 kW. These competitive figures make photovoltaic power an increasingly affordable alternative, provided that the full potential of the panels is utilized and the installations are guaranteed high levels of efficiency and reliability. Factors including panel productivity and plant longevity have a direct influence on the financial sustainability of the investment, and the choice of the proper support structures plays a fundamental role in the process. Choosing the right inclination, optimising available space and ensuring protection from the elements are all factors that go into selecting a racking system, and for over a decade Sun Ballast has been a true point of reference in the field of solar panel racking systems for flat surfaces. The Sun Ballast range offers simple, sturdy and quick-to-install systems designed to make installation fast and easy, whether you’re setting up your PV plant atop a small residential building or on the vast roof of an industrial warehouse.
SMALL SPACES, OPTIMISED EFFICIENCY: SAIL, STANDARD AND CONNECT SYSTEMS
When the aim is to get the most out of small available spaces, Sun Ballast racking systems offer a guaranteed solution, allowing you to manage the installation process in a practical and efficient way. The Standard system, available in a wide range of inclinations from 0° to 30°, allows installers to easily adjust the length of rows and the distance between them, meaning getting around obstacles is no trouble at all. The Sail system, at inclinations of 5° and 11°, makes even the smallest areas useful and productive: rows of modules are arranged next to each other with increasing height, reducing the distance between them to zero, thus optimising the entire roof and guaranteeing the highest level of efficiency, even for small installations on terraces and residential roofs. When neither productivity nor wind resistance can be compromised, the Connect Sail system at an inclination of 5° is the ideal choice: it combines the advantages of the Connect and Sail systems, allowing for full optimisation of available space while also ensuring excellent wind resistance. The rows of photovoltaic panels are built by arranging the modules in pairs and connecting each (double) row with the next, creating a single, extremely stable, efficient and balanced network of interconnected structures.
LARGE SPACES, MAXIMUM RELIABILITY: EAST-WEST AND CONNECT SYSTEMS
When solar power plants (and investments) are large, productivity and longevity are key considerations. Ensuring the utmost in reliability becomes a top priority. Sun Ballast’s Connect system is one of the most widely used racking systems for flat surfaces on the roofs of large buildings. Its unique configuration ensures heightened stability for large solar power installations. With this system, the support ballasts are interconnected in a single grid. Weight is thus balanced perfectly evenly across the whole surface, without overloading any specific points on the roof, and also ensuring excellent resistance to high winds. But the Sun Ballast advantage doesn’t end there. There is also a system that allows for excellent performance even when the building’s exposure is sub-optimal. Thanks to the double orientation of the solar panels, the East-West system allows for a significant increase in the number of hours of direct sunlight, distributing energy production throughout the day and ensuring high performance even for plants located in places with poor exposure.
AS THE MARKET GROWS, SO DO SKILLS: THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SERVICE
In addition to the increasing number of photovoltaic systems and the growing efficiency of the components used for installations, another constantly expanding parameter is the skills of the operators: manufacturers, planners and installers of today’s PV systems face a lively and competitive market, and the level of skill required to offer quality services is increasingly high. Reliable and professional partners have become an indispensable element, allowing you to simplify the process while improving the trustworthiness, speed, and overall level of service. This is why for over a decade, Sun Ballast has combined the development of innovative solutions with a constant and professional technical support service aimed at all photovoltaic operators, from the early planning stages to the final finishing touches during installation: the Sun Ballast Technical Department provides planners and installers all over the world with comprehensive and in-depth assistance, a true guarantee of safety and precision that offers the highest level of quality, efficiency and reliability to everyone involved in the installation of solar power systems.
