The energy storage market in Italy saw a significant uptick in 2024, marked by a notable increase in stand-alone connections, a significant step towards the path of energy transition.  

In June 2024, Italy has over 650,000 connected storage systems, totaling 4.50 GW in power and 9.62 GWh in capacity. Although the majority of this capacity is linked to photovoltaic installations, stand-alone systems have experienced substantial growth, according data from Terna published by Italia Solare.   

The analyzed data reveals that 83% of the total connected capacity is associated with photovoltaic plants, with 82% of that being storage systems under 50 kWh. The remaining capacity includes 15 stand-alone systems, totaling 1.53 GWh (466 MW), as well as storage connected to thermoelectric and wind plants, which account for 56 MWh (68 MW from 10 plants) and 2 MWh (2 MW from 2 plants), respectively.  

Regional distribution of energy storage systems across Italy  

In terms of storage systems linked to photovoltaic installations, Lombardy leads with the highest share of connections at 1,454 MWh. Veneto follows with 1,081 MWh, Emilia-Romagna with 749 MWh, Lazio with 577 MWh, and Piedmont with 568 MWh. Together, these five regions represent over 55% of the total capacity for photovoltaic-associated storage systems, according to the published information.  

In contrast, stand-alone storage capacity is predominantly concentrated in Northern Italy, but also extends to Southern regions including Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Umbria, Campania, Apulia, Sicily, and Sardinia. Eight stand-alone storage systems in the Northern market area account for 1,456 MWh, which constitutes 95% of the total stand-alone storage capacity.  

Growth for C&I  

Based on the analyzed data, in the first half of 2024, Italy added 126,916 storage systems, with a total power capacity of 1.05 GW and a capacity of 2.63 GWh. Of this, 58% (1.55 GWh) comes from storage systems with capacities under 50 kWh associated with photovoltaic installations, while about 2% (48 MWh) is from larger systems also linked to photovoltaics. Significantly, 39% (1.04 GWh) is attributed to six stand-alone storage systems, with 31% coming from a single facility of 805 MWh (200 MW) in Udine.  

"Regarding stand-alone storage systems, Fast Reserve units are now complemented by those remunerated in the Capacity Market auction for 2024. These units are gradually becoming operational in electricity markets, starting with energy markets and expanding into dispatch services. Additionally, the Grid Code is being updated following the implementation of TIDE to better recognize the contribution of new storage assets in the Italian electricity system," commented Fabio Zanellini, co-coordinator of the Storage and Hydrogen Working Group at Italia Solare.  

According to Italia Solare, a quarterly review of connected capacity for storage systems under 50 kWh associated with photovoltaic plants shows a notable decline for the first time in a year, with a decrease of up to 30% between Q1 2024 and Q2 2024. This drop reflects the impact of the end of the 110% Superbonus and the credit transfer block, which have adversely affected the residential sector.  

Conversely, the quarterly connected capacity for storage systems over 50 kWh, categorized as C&I storage, saw a 27% increase from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, and an impressive 118% increase from Q1 2024 to Q2 2024. Despite the cumulative connected capacity for C&I storage still being relatively modest at 108 MWh, the sector is experiencing rapid growth, with 44% of this capacity—48 MWh—connected in the first six months of 2024 alone.