THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS IN ITALY: THE FEED-IN TARIFF

Solar energy, in particular the photovoltaic technology, for the production of energy, is undergoing a noticeable diffusion at international level, thanks to incentive policies of governments that recognise its obvious advantages and appreciate the aid that this technology can provide to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the dependence from fossil fuels. This paper evaluates the potential for the development of the photovoltaic technology that, unfortunately, is still one of the most expensive renewable energies. For this reason, it is extremely important to consider its economic and financial aspects. The analysis focuses on the Italian market, where great expectations have been generated by the approval of the decree that introduces a new type of incentive called feed-in tariff (Conto energia). A specific software has been implemented that evaluates the economic benefits obtained when this incentive is used for different types of investments in photovoltaic facilities The results show the effective superiority of such incentive compared to others that have been used in the past.