Regional Energy Reports highlights_Piemonte

Piemonte region (Italy)

PROSPECT2030 supports the energy planning process in Piemonte:  challenging targets but Piemonte is on the way

Piemonte Region is defining its own energy targets for 2030 in an Environmental and Energy Plan under development. PROSPECT2030 will provide an essential support in the definition of the targets and in the action plan on how to achieve them.
At this stage, the envisaged main targets are to increase the energy production from renewable sources for an additional 5.7 TWh in 2030 with a total production of 27.7 TWh; to reduce the gross final consumption of approximately 30% on the trend value. The pathway is tough but feasible, given the actual value.

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The final energy consumption in Piemonte region remains substantially constant over the last years with values close to 120 TWh. Natural gas and petroleum products still make up more than 60% of total consumption and, considering the way in which electricity and heat are produced, the level of dependency on fossil fuels is still particularly high, albeit on a downward trend. The contribution of renewable sources, just under 23 TWh, is about 18.5% of the final energy consumptions.
As far as sectors are concerned, the most of the consumptions are concentrated in the building sector (private households and service/office buildings), which counts for more than 48%. 26% of consumptions are recorded int ransport sector, while 23% in industry. Agriculture provides a minor contribution to the final energy consumptions and it is below 2%. These are the most updated data delivered by the National Energy Agency for 2017 and they confirm what reported in the Energy report prepared for the Piemonte Region by the Politechnics of Torino and the Region itself.
In order to achieve 2030 targets, most of the job must be done in the building sector boosting energy efficiency and deep renovation process, but also renewables can provide an essential input for the energy transition. 

Focusing the attention on energy efficiency in thermal and electricity generation, a key technology for metropolitan areas is the development of the district heating networks, in combination with cogeneration plants. This has been developed already in the past, but there are still potentials to be exploited.
In the electric sector, the photovoltaic technology represents a solution with good possibilities of development, although with the end of the incentive programs the yearly installations rate slowed down. In the thermal sector, the use of biomass has possible development margins, albeit limited, mainly in the development of small district heating networks fuelled by wood chips in the mountain areas with higher building. In the residential sector, the role of biomass is central in covering thermal needs, although a renewal of the plan park is necessary, also in favour of appliances and boilers with greater production efficiency and lower pollutant emissions (PM10).
The role of the solar thermal source and the use of heat pumps is currently little exploited, although both seems to have interesting developing potentials. The use of heat pumps in the production of heat is increasing, especially in hybrid systems combined with condensing boilers, due to climatic conditions and high operating temperatures of domestic thermal distribution systems.
This will be further discussed in a stakeholders meeting to be organized in the upcoming weeks.