Italy: Looking for + 50 GWh and +700 experts in the Industry

The solar sector has continued its strong growth in 2023 – and delivered 40% market growth, similar to the level it reached in 2022. That’s great news: The fast growth confirms our confidence in solar’s gigantic potential.

As an italian Architect turned into Headhunter in the solar sector I'm particularly happy to see the potential of Italy in this phase. When it comes to Italy, achieving the goals of Agenda 2030, means managing to install between 125 and 130 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy .The question is: how are we doing, and at what growth rate is Italy's renewable sector progressing?

 Regarding photovoltaics,the present is already good news compared to the recent past: in 2023, cumulative photovoltaic power reached over 30 gigawatt-hours (up 21 percent from 2022) for a total estimated gross production of over 30 terawatt-hours.

Furthermore, storage systems associated with photovoltaic installations are on the rise: 536,000 in 2023 (especially in the residential sector), practically double compared to the previous year. But more needs to be done. Starting with the training of specialized professionals: that workforce of 700 thousand talents in the industry capable of mastering sustainable energy technologies. We believe that human capital is the driving force that, if properly supported, will provide the necessary impetus to achieve the expected target. 

One of the three pillars on which the photovoltaic game is largely played in Italy is the land territory regulations, Tommaso Barbetti, partner at Elemens (https://www.elemens.it/), pointed out that the market would be ready, as connection requests are nearly three times higher than the additional gigawatt-hours established last year by the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), but it is necessary to coordinate authorizations for photovoltaic projects from now until 2030. Lastly, it's heavily the Human Aspect of the matter , There is no time to waste: we must find the human capital, those 700 thousand specialized professionals for the construction and maintenance of the photovoltaic installations to come.