Germano Zanini has a company that installs solar panels in Verona. “I have been in the industry for twenty years, but I have not been able to mount them at my house. The superintendency stopped me even though I live far from the historic center. I would also have had a canopy to exploit. But it is located 24.6 meters from the road, and the municipal regulation provides that they are at least 25 “. Arturo Lorenzoni he teaches Energy Economics at the University of Padua and is leader of the opposition in the Veneto Regional Council. “The roof of the apartment building I live in is not exposed well. I could have installed the panels on a wall that is well lit, but I would need permission from the other residents. I folded on a small panel called balcony, which simply attaches with a plug. However, the production is minimal ”.
We talk about it in the spring
Italy is the land of the sun, but the Italians, to exploit it, have to overcome an obstacle course. The case of Giorgio Parisi, who won the Nobel Prize in physics, but said he was unable to mount the panels on the roof of his apartment building, is common to many Italians. Landscape and historical constraints, municipal regulations and condominium rules, shortage of installers and waiting times for materials, to finish – when the finish line is now in sight – with the delays for the replacement of the meter: before the first ray helps to soothe the electricity bill, you have to wait months. “I am talking about late spring to my clients roughly,” says Zanini. But just in case all permissions are in place.
The condominium alea
“Some municipalities are opening branches to help citizens find their way, but these are sporadic initiatives. The companies for their part are starting to equip themselves with condominium facilitators to be sent to the assemblies to answer questions “he explains Michele De Carli, Professor of Engineering at the University of Padua. Distrust in the face of something new, disagreements between neighbors, lack of money to spend immediately and, in the case of the elderly, little desire to embark on an investment that takes a few years to give its return are the most frequent reasons for the vote. contrary in an apartment building. Theoretically, a condominium could install the panels on his share of the roof, but he should still obtain the consent of the assembly and demonstrate that he is not causing harm to others.
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The superintendent’s verdict
Then there are the historical or naturalistic constraints. Even if last spring the Draghi government classified solar panels for family use as “free construction”, simplifying the bureaucratic process in the Municipality, the systems must still be “compatible from a landscape point of view”. “The superintendents have great autonomy in interpreting this rule” comments Lorenzoni. Gianluca Ruggieri, an environmental engineer who teaches at the University of Insubria, says he has seen “similar projects that in one city were rejected without appeal and approved without difficulty in the other”. He then cites the example of the Sala Nervi: 5 thousand square meters in the shadow of the dome of St. Peter’s that the Vatican wanted 15 years ago. In Italy, faced with a no, the option – very impervious – of the appeal remains. The last hope comes from the brick-colored panels. “They cost more and make less, but maybe they can change the mind of a superintendent,” suggests De Carli.
China: taps closed
The difficulties, at this point, move to the materials front. “Now the market is drugged by the 110% superbonus” explains Zanini. “European production is practically non-existent. Nine out of ten panels come from China. When the lockdown blocked the port of Shanghai, nothing more came to us ”. The bottleneck affects photovoltaic modules, but also inverters, which are electronic tools and suffer from chip shortages around the world. “If I order a plant today, the materials will arrive in April-May”. Even after completing the marathon, when the plant is already built, there is always the last mile: “The local distributor needs to connect the plant and change the meter. The operation can take up to three months ”says Zanini.
Costs and revenues
The costs, again as a result of the superbonus, have risen due to speculation, but photovoltaics with current energy prices is always considered a good deal. “The cost of the plants has dropped over time” explains Ruggieri. “Fifteen years ago, installing a kilowatt cost about 6 thousand euros, and a family needs an average of 3. A year ago we had reached 1,500. We are now back to 2,000, but without calculating the 50% deduction. At current prices, an installed kilowatt saves 300 euros per year in energy, as well as various taxes and charges. In 6 years the investment can be said to be abundantly repaid “.
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Help from the underground
By rolling up your sleeves, there are other ways to help the environment and deflate your bills. The most obvious is the insulation of the house. “Reducing energy consumption remains the most important step” confirms De Carli. “Here, too, the superbonus has triggered speculation on prices”. Those who are left out of this incentive can benefit from other building bonuses, but finding an idle firm today is mission impossible. “Then there is another renewable source that is less known and is not driven by incentives, but has good potential: it is geothermal energy” he explains Eloisa Di Zipio, professor of geology at the University of Padua. The example you give is that of the cave, cool in summer and warm in winter. “If we go down about ten meters below the ground, the temperature is not affected by seasonal fluctuations. It remains constant around 14 degrees, with some variation between North and South “.
In winter, the ground is warmer than air. Taking its heat helps us bring the house to around 14 degrees: a good starting point for radiators or heat pumps, which are entrusted with the task of reaching 20-25 degrees that give us comfort. In the summer, exactly the opposite happens. The soil is cooler than air and relieves the work of air conditioners. “The technical difficulty consists in extracting the heat or coolness of the subsoil” explains Di Sipio. “But geothermal energy is a strategy that can be applied almost everywhere, even in city condominiums, as long as they have at least a small garden”.
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There are two ways of geothermal energy. Either the underground water is raised directly, or water is sent down from the house. “In the first case we have an open circuit system. Efficiency is higher, but there are very binding legislation, both at national and local level. In the second case we speak of a closed circuit. A little efficiency is lost, but obtaining the authorization is much simpler ”explains Di Sipio. “In some countries of Northern Europe, geothermal energy is widespread. With us it is above all the builders of new houses who think about installing it. A bit because making a system on a new house is easier. A little because it helps a lot to make the house fall into a high energy class “.
Community
And when all the obstacles prove insurmountable, there is one last hope: the energy community. Provided for 2019 by a European directive, in Italy the communities are still waiting for an implementation decree with the incentive tables. Despite this, there is no lack of those who venture down this path. The “ènostra” cooperative (Ruggieri is one of the founders) has started work on a 999 kilowatt wind farm (1,300 families) in Gubbio, on uncultivated land. You can subscribe a fee and take advantage of electricity at a controlled price. “It is the solution that I also offer to customers who are unable to install the panels at home” adds Zanini. “I built a photovoltaic system in the mountains around Verona. It produces enough electricity to power 1,200 homes ”. The energy community is for many the last chance. “But in reality it is an excellent solution” comments Lorenzoni. “There is interest, the demand is high. It is really time for the rules to be completed ”.