During Energyear Italy 2025, UL Solutions played an active role in the conversations that brought together key leaders from the renewable energy sector. As a global safety science company with deep expertise in testing, inspection, certification, and advisory services, UL Solutions has become a trusted partner in supporting the renewable energy transition across Italy and Europe.

UL Solutions is helping accelerate the deployment of renewable energy flowing into our shared power grid. We support renewable energy innovators throughout the project lifecycle, from research and development through grid connection, with customized services to support safety and performance.

Given UL Solutions’ strong presence and continued contribution to the Italian renewable energy market, Review Energy spoke with Fabio Monachesi, Global Product Manager, and Eraldo Preci, Senior Knowledge Specialist, to learn more about Italy’s recent progress in renewables, the company’s strategic role in the sector, and its ongoing efforts to drive innovation and digitalization in energy systems.

Review Energy (R.E.):  In August 2025, Italy reached its highest share of renewables in over a decade. Which technologies are driving this trend, and which face the greatest challenges to further expansion?

UL Solutions: Italy’s renewable energy growth is being driven primarily by utility-scale solar PV and wind power. The country’s favorable climate, declining technology costs and supportive EU policies have accelerated deployment across regions.

Despite this momentum, significant challenges remain — particularly in the distribution grid infrastructure. Lengthy permitting processes and regulatory fragmentation continue to slow progress, but the grid itself presents one of the most pressing bottlenecks. To better understand this, compare the grid to a road network: while it may be underutilized on average, it reaches its capacity limits during peak hours. Just as traffic lights and lane management help regulate road congestion, the electrical grid requires smart, short-term solutions to manage variability and demand until further investments can expand its capacity.

These solutions include distributed energy resources (DERs), energy storage systems, flexible generation and demand-side management. By shortening the distance between generation and consumption, DERs increase self-consumption and reduce stress on the grid. Meanwhile, integrating storage systems and enabling dynamic control of generation and demand allow for more flexible and resilient grid operation. Together, these technologies are essential for balancing the system and accelerating Italy’s path toward full decarbonization.

R.E.: In terms of competitiveness and positioning, how would you define UL Solutions’ role in the development of the renewable energy industry in Italy?

UL Solutions: The company plays a critical partnering role in Italy’s renewable energy transition by delivering comprehensive testing, inspection and certification services across the entire project lifecycle.  UL Solutions has over 35 years of global expertise and operates in more than 140 countries, so we have deep experience helping equipment manufacturers and project developers mitigate risk, achieve regulatory compliance and accelerate time to market.

UL Solutions is a key player across Europe when it comes to performing grid code compliance, offering preliminary evaluations, conducting performance testing and offering accredited certifications for power-generating units and systems. Our laboratories in Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan conduct daily testing of energy equipment aligned with safety standards and over 60 grid codes and also simulate power plant behavior under both steady-state and dynamic conditions. This work strengthens the reliability of the energy infrastructure and supports the region’s broader decarbonization objectives.

By combining deep technical expertise, advanced digital tools and a strong local presence, UL Solutions is a trusted partner in the renewable energy ecosystems of Italy and Europe. We help stakeholders navigate complexity, unlock innovation and deliver scalable, sustainable energy solutions.

R.E.: Looking ahead, what are UL Solutions’ main objectives and plans regarding innovation, project development and expansion?

UL Solutions: In the field of innovation, UL Solutions continues to invest in advanced testing capabilities, with a strong focus on software-based setups such as hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) technologies. Based on our experience with real-world projects and current approved testing methodologies, the first grid code compliance project using HIL typically incurs approximately 16% higher costs and requires 26% longer turnaround time compared to conventional approaches.

However, the long-term benefits are substantial: Once the initial HIL-based certification is completed, subsequent projects involving products that share the same electronic platform can achieve up to a 28% decrease in processing time and a 50% reduction in cost. This gain not only accelerates market access but also enhances consistency and scalability across product lines, making HIL a strategic investment for manufacturers aiming to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

As part of its project development support, UL Solutions provides preliminary evaluations to assess grid code requirements — along with a comprehensive suite of engineering services. These include static and dynamic modeling of power plants, covering both electromechanical and electromagnetic behavior. The requirements also include simulations for low- and high-voltage ride-through, power quality analysis, short-circuit studies, protection coordination, electrical loss assessments, load flow grid studies and on-site quality assurance inspections.

These services are delivered using the industry-standard software platforms commonly adopted by utilities, enabling power plant developers to demonstrate the robustness and compliance of their designs to distribution and transmission system operators. As a result, UL Solutions helps significantly reduce the time required for grid operator analysis, streamlining project approvals and accelerating deployment timelines.

As part of its expansion strategy, UL Solutions is actively exploring new markets, supported by the launch of its Global Compliance Management (GCM) software tool for grid code compliance. This platform guides equipment manufacturers, power plant developers and engineering contractors through the regulatory landscape for grid connection across more than 200 countries, significantly reducing the time required to understand market-specific requirements. GCM not only streamlines access to up-to-date regulatory frameworks but also enables users to consult directly with UL experts for rapid insights on recent changes in national grid codes and compliance standards.

When combined with UL Solutions’ preliminary evaluation services, GCM provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory and technical requirements. This empowers stakeholders across the renewable energy value chain, helping them manage complex regulations, achieve compliance and accelerate their transition to a safe — and sustainable — energy future.