Is it convenient to install a photovoltaic system?

Choose to install a domestic photovoltaic system it's a decision that more and more people are considering. The reasons? On the one hand, the constant increase in the costs of traditional energy; on the other, the desire to contribute in a concrete way to the energy transition to more sustainable sources.

However, taking action involves practical evaluations: Is it really worth installing photovoltaic in the house? How much does it cost? Are there any incentives? What bureaucratic obstacles can be encountered?

The costs of a photovoltaic system

Before letting yourself be carried away by enthusiasm, it is important to have a clear picture of what they are. all costs related to the installation and management of a photovoltaic system. Also considering those that are not immediately obvious, but that still have an important weight in the final 'account'.

In particular, photovoltaic costs can be included in 2 major categories:

1. installation costs: which include, just to give a few non-exhaustive examples, the design of the system, the request for any authorizations, the purchase of materials, the installation of the same;
2. management costs: which include ordinary and extraordinary maintenance, the possible replacement of damaged parts, the payment of damage caused by the plant itself to third parties and the insurance of the plant.

Obviously, from these costs, any bonuses that can be provided both nationally and locally must be deducted: for example, the concessions relating to the VAT rate to be applied to the plant and the possibility of benefiting from specific bonuses (such as the restructuring bonus or Energy Income), which may be linked to family income and which have different operating systems.

It is very important to carry out this count, taking into account all the elements, before actually starting with the project to install a photovoltaic system. Because, if the costs are very high and you cannot benefit from special incentives, it is necessary to evaluate carefully whether to proceed with the project.

Bureaucratic issues related to the installation of a photovoltaic system

Costs are a very important aspect to evaluate when deciding whether to install a photovoltaic system, but we must also deal with the bureaucracy that often seems to want to put a stick in the wheels of those who intend to focus on renewable energy.

In fact, even if the legislation provides that special authorizations are not necessary, at least up to a certain power, this possibility risks clashing with the restrictions that the law places on some areas and buildings characterized by a particular architectural value or that are located within the historic centers of cities.

So, if the photovoltaic system is installed outside a historic center or an area subject to landscape restrictions, no communication is necessary. In other cases, on the other hand, it is necessary to prepare a SCIA: in the absence of which the installation works are considered abusive, with all the consequences of the case.

It is important, before proceeding with the purchase and installation of a photovoltaic system, to find out what landscape classification the installation area has. In this way, it becomes possible to understand how to proceed and adapt, if present, to the particular indications given by the relevant legislation.

The risk of poor performance

Then there is another risk associated with the installation of a photovoltaic system, a risk that you rarely hear about, but which can be a source of several problems: that of poor performance

Although a photovoltaic system has been installed “in a workmanlike manner” and using high-quality components, there is always the risk that its performance will be lower than expected: and this necessarily affects the length of the period necessary to amortize the cost of the plant itself.

Poor performance may depend on contingent situations: for example, the lack of cleaning of the panels and weather conditions (excessive heat and cold affect the perfect functioning of the system).

Other causes of poor performance may depend on network disturbances or malfunctions of the individual parts of the system (for example the inverter). Without forgetting that, over the years, photovoltaic panels are aging, which lose efficiency.

In addition, the fact of being in an area where solar radiation is scarce, can lead to a decrease in performance even in a new plant. For example, if in front of the panels there are plants, trees or other buildings that produce significant shading, the yield of the plant will be much lower than expected.

All these factors must be taken into account when you decide to install a photovoltaic system. But there is also an alternative solution, very simple to implement and that allows you to bypass these problems.

An alternative solution: shared photovoltaic

If installing a domestic system is complicated or not convenient, there is a simple and effective alternative: the shared photovoltaic.

With GridShare, you can buy one or more shares of a high efficiency solar park, like the one already active at Ceprano (FR), and benefit from energy production without installing anything in your home.

How does GridShare work?

• Choose how many shares to buy through a campaign of accessible crowdfunding
• GridShare builds and manages the plant (maintenance and insurance included)
• You get the proportional revenues deriving from the sale of the energy produced

Photovoltaic with GridShare is in fact economically advantageous, free of red tape and at no extra cost.

In addition, it is a concrete step towards a future 100% green, accessible even to those who live in cities or in homes not suitable for photovoltaic. A simple solution, which allows you to take advantage of the advantages of photovoltaic energy production without facing technical or bureaucratic problems.

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