News / Insights

The 2026 Annual Report on Energy Efficiency, prepared by ENEA’s Energy Efficiency Unit, provides an analysis of the policies and measures implemented to improve energy efficiency in Italy.

In 2025, the Global Energy Efficiency Conference, promoted by the European Commission and the IEA, and COP30 confirmed the central role of energy efficiency in the energy transition, emphasizing the need to accelerate the reduction of energy consumption while maintaining the same level of economic activity, services, and quality of life. To achieve the 2030 targets, this trajectory requires investment, technological innovation, and adequate expertise throughout the entire supply chain. At the European level, the Green Industrial Deal supports the decarbonization of production processes, while the “Energy and Citizens” package strengthens the tools to combat energy poverty. In Italy, the PNIEC remains the primary strategic framework for national energy policy, supported by the “Bollette” Decree, the expansion of energy efficiency incentives—such as White Certificates and Conto Termico 3.0—and training initiatives promoted by ENEA.

The PNRR also contributes significantly to this trajectory: Missions 2 and 7 have funded 48,703 projects, totaling 57.9 billion euros earmarked for the energy transition. In terms of results, in 2024, primary energy demand decreased by 0.9%, settling at 139.8 Mtoe, while the share of renewable sources rose to 21.3%. Energy intensity—that is, the amount of energy required to generate economic value—decreased by 29.5% compared to 2005, indicating a gradual improvement in the system’s overall efficiency.

Incentives continued to support the energy retrofitting of the building stock, although new energy savings are gradually declining compared to previous years. In 2025, the Home Bonus funded over 491,000 projects, primarily for heat pumps, solar panels, and window replacements, generating approximately 661 GWh/year in energy savings and 743 GWh/year in solar power generation. The Ecobonus supported over 305,000 projects, with investments totaling 3.6 billion euros and savings amounting to 842 GWh/year. The “Superbonus” program has covered a total of nearly 482,000 buildings, triggering investments of approximately 119.5 billion euros and annual energy savings of 16.2 TWh. Overall, tax credits continue to account for more than half of the energy savings reported under the EEDIII Directive.

Among other measures, the Conto Termico program reached its highest levels since its introduction, with over 156,800 applications and incentives exceeding 960 million euros. The program primarily supported systems powered by renewable thermal energy sources and retrofits of public administration buildings, triggering investments of over 1.2 billion euros and contributing to reduced energy consumption and emissions. White Certificates also continued to contribute to national targets, albeit with a slight decline in savings. Finally, in the manufacturing sector, energy audits led to the implementation of 390 energy efficiency measures and the identification of over 2,000 additional ones, with significant potential for improving energy efficiency.

The building sector remains one of the key areas of the energy transition. In the residential sector, energy consumption stood at 26.8 Mtoe, a slight increase compared to the previous year, but still 21% lower than in 2005. This improvement reflects regulatory changes and the impact of tax incentives, which have supported retrofitting and equipment replacement projects over the years.

Monitoring of Energy Performance Certificates (APE), however, confirms the extent of the work still to be done. As of May 2026, approximately 1.28 million certificates issued in 2025 had been registered, a 6% increase compared to the previous year; however, the residential building stock continues to include a significant proportion of buildings in the least energy-efficient classes, along with industrial and commercial properties. The real estate market also reflects this situation: between 61% and 71% of transactions involve properties in energy classes E, F, or G, while the most energy-efficient buildings are concentrated primarily in the most desirable areas.

On the public sector front, the PREPAC Program has approved funding for 25 projects, totaling approximately 29 million euros, focused primarily on building envelope improvements, photovoltaic systems, and heat pumps, including projects involving ESCOs. Finally, the pilot testing of the Smart Readiness Indicator shows that the digitalization of Italian buildings remains limited. This finding opens up significant opportunities for new initiatives capable of improving not only energy efficiency but also the flexibility of buildings and their integration with the energy system.