Key facts
Synergies between climate mitigation and adaptation: the role of photovoltaics in meeting cooling demand in Italy analyses how hotter summers will affect residential electricity demand and how much of this extra cooling need can be met by rooftop photovoltaics (PV). Using household‑level electricity data, detailed solar adoption statistics and high‑resolution climate projections, the authors estimate how much more power Italian households will draw for cooling and how much PV can offset.
“Rooftop solar panels offer a powerful solution: they can offset nearly half of increased electricity demand during peak cooling periods,” says lead author of the study Lucia Piazza . “This matters to the public because it shows how clean energy can simultaneously fight climate change and help people cope with its effects, while potentially lowering household energy costs.”
The study finds that climate change alone is set to push up residential cooling demand by about 5% of today’s total residential electricity use. At the same time, if rooftop solar grows in line with current national plans – from around 6% of households today to about 22–24% in 2050 – PV could halve this additional climate‑driven load.
Because solar production peaks during the hottest, sunniest hours, PV‑equipped households are able to cover a large share of their cooling needs directly from their own panels. On the hottest summer days, households with rooftop PV reduce their grid withdrawals by around 68% compared to similar households without solar, easing pressure on the system precisely when demand peaks.
“This work provides valuable insights into the future potential of a renewable energy source, in this case solar photovoltaic, in addressing the side effects of climate warming in the residential sector,” says Francesco Pietro Colelli .
However, the benefits are unevenly distributed. Regions in northern Italy and the islands, where solar ownership is higher, see the greatest reductions in cooling‑related grid demand, while major cities in central and southern Italy such as Rome, Naples and Palermo face a “double vulnerability”: they will experience the most intense heat but currently have some of the lowest solar installation rates. The authors argue that targeted policies to support rooftop PV in these urban hotspots could help protect residents from rising bills and reduce stress on the grid during heatwaves.
For more information
Synergies between climate mitigation and adaptation: the role of photovoltaics in meeting cooling demand in Italy . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/ae6dc0