Photovoltaics in Italy: Toward grid parity in the residential electricity market

The Italian photovoltaic market, since 2011 the world's largest, represents a success story having attained grid parity for the residential market of electricity - thus setting the basis for surviving without subsidies. The Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) is calculated for three representative locations in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, and compared with the residential end-user electricity price. It is shown that grid parity is attained under most conditions for the Italian residential market, thus laying the basis for its survival without subsidies.