Italy’s Solar Power Production Passes Its Wind Power Production!

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Italians are appreciated for their passion for loving strong and living for love. True to their naturalistic approach, they are setting good examples in renewable energy, and they are way ahead of most of us in this (its installed solar power per capita is 5 times that of California).

Modern geothermal electricity generation was developed in Italy, long before power plants were developed in Iceland, New Zealand, or California. Now, as Windworks.org reports, solar energy has actually passed up more developed and prevalent (worldwide) wind energy. “This may be the first time that a developed country has generated more electricity with solar PV than with wind energy,” Paul Gipe writes.

“Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) reports that not only did solar PV development grow dramatically in Italy during 2011, as widely reported, but that solar PV generated nearly 10.7 TWh of electricity for slightly more than 3% of internal consumption.”

 

 

Catch up, California!

Italy may be second to Germany in total installed solar power capacity and per capita solar power, but is clearly in front of California, which probably has better press regarding this matter. Italy is doing more with its solar resource than the “Golden State,” while they share similar climates and similar populations.

Italy actually has five times more solar energy per capita after one decade of development. Catch up, California!

Italy a Clear Solar Power Leader

Notably, Italy is actually the #1 country in the world for installed solar power relative to electricity production (as of the end of 2011).

As mentioned above, it is second in per capita solar. And it is third in installed solar power per GDP (behind #1 Czech Republic and #2 Germany).

Here’s more info on Italian solar PV at the end of 2011, Italian solar PV in 2012 (up through August 29), and Italian renewable energy generation through 2011, via Wind-Works.org: