2022, a record year for our grids

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Our Group is an increasingly important leader in the energy transition, a commitment that was displayed in our record numbers for 2022. In fact, during the year we connected to our grids almost 5.6 GW of new electric power capacity made from renewable resources, coming from around 411,000 producers and prosumers worldwide, with about 317,000 of those in Europe.

This big leap forward was obtained thanks to the growing ability to support distributed renewable generation (hosting capacity) and the high level of digitalization of our grids managed by Enel Grids, the global business line dedicated to the distribution of electric power.

A significant contribution was made by Italy. Of the new 5.6 GW added worldwide during 2022, 2.4 GW were connected by the Italian grids, and the majority (2 GW) was generated by photovoltaic systems, corresponding to the installation of more than 6 million standard solar panels. This capacity is concentrated in the northern regions, totaling 57%, and in the central regions, for another 20%, while the remaining percentage is installed in the southern regions and islands. During the same time, around 204,000 new connections were made, almost triple (2.5 times more) compared to 2021.

This record increase brings the total prosumers and producers connected to the Italian grid to roughly 1.2 million, for a total capacity of more than 34 GW. In addition, 87% of the requests for connection by end consumers was managed by technical contractors, bringing value to the entire local business chain.

These record numbers highlight how the growth of production from renewable resources relies not only on industrial scale wind and solar power plants but also on the informed decisions of individuals. These individuals, with their domestic installations and their green choices, continue to decisively support our country’s path to decarbonization and energy independence.

«This unprecedented ‘bottom up’ energy transition has been made possible by the large number of private citizens using natural resources to produce renewable energy autonomously. We anticipate volumes to continue increasing in 2023 and beyond. Enel Grids continues to pursue service improvements to make the electrification journey smoother for clients, supplying the connection to the grid that is necessary to support their energy independence and at the same time promote a more interactive electricity ecosystem, as well as new opportunities in terms of business models», commented Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel Grids. 

This collective effort is supported by our Group’s ongoing commitment to innovating and digitizing grids so that they can accommodate a demand that is on track to grow at a faster pace in the coming years.