Italy's connected electrochemical energy storage fleet reached 19,983 MWh — nearly 20 GWh — and 8,338 MW of power capacity as of 30 September 2026, spread across 984,829 connected systems, according to data compiled by ITALIA SOLARE from Terna's Gaudì database.
Where the capacity sits
Of the total, 12,552 MWh was linked to photovoltaic installations, while 7,368 MWh was standalone storage. The dominance of PV-linked systems reflects the historical role of residential and commercial self-consumption in the Italian market, although standalone utility-scale projects are now growing their share.
During January-September 2026, Italy connected 1,953 MWh of new storage capacity: 1,486 MWh solar-linked and 467 MWh standalone.
Third-quarter momentum
In Q3 2026 alone, PV-associated storage added 480 MWh of energy capacity and 252 MW of power capacity through 31,039 new connections — a 15% increase year-on-year. The quarter-on-quarter trend suggests the distributed storage market has continued expanding despite changes in incentive conditions.
Solar keeps setting the pace
Storage growth is being driven by a fast-expanding solar fleet. Italy installed 4.834 GW of new solar PV capacity in the first nine months of 2026, including 1.74 GW in Q3 2026 — up 37% year-on-year from 1.269 GW. Cumulative installed PV capacity reached 48.347 GW across 2,314,113 connected installations as of 30 September 2026, with 147,632 new PV systems added in the nine-month period.
Utility-scale and commercial segments dominated additions. Projects of 1 MW and above contributed 2,241 MW (473 installations, 46% of additions); C&I systems of 20 kW-1 MW added 1,697 MW (11,905 systems, 35%); residential systems up to 20 kW contributed 897 MW (135,254 connections, 19%). In Q3 2026, utility-scale added 858 MW (394 MW from 1-10 MW and 464 MW from above 10 MW), C&I 543 MW and residential 341 MW.
Regional patterns
Lombardy led PV-linked storage additions with 206 MWh in the first nine months of 2026, followed by Emilia-Romagna (155 MWh), Veneto (146 MWh) and Sicily (144 MWh). Sicily was the top region for new solar capacity with 686 MW, followed by Lombardy (644 MW), Piedmont (498 MW), Veneto (463 MW), Emilia-Romagna (443 MW) and Lazio (432 MW).
Regulatory ask
ITALIA SOLARE highlighted the growing role of utility-scale solar and energy storage in Italy's energy transition and emphasised the need for continued support for distributed generation and self-consumption, plus regulatory improvements to accelerate storage deployment.
Source: The Battery Magazine (data from ITALIA SOLARE / Terna Gaudì)
This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.