Sardinia has unveiled a €29 million funding program aimed at accelerating renewable energy adoption among local businesses, marking a strategic step in the island’s long-term transition toward sustainable energy independence. The initiative—open to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)—seeks to expand the deployment of solar PV and commercial and industrial energy storage systems (C&I ESS) across key economic sectors.
The scheme, announced by Regional Councilor for Industry Emanuele Cani, offers non-repayable grants ranging from €20,000 to €500,000. Depending on eligibility, applicants can choose between the EU’s General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) framework or the simplified de minimis regime, which caps support at €300,000. The grants will cover up to 65% of project costs for micro and small companies installing solar systems, and 55% for medium-sized enterprises.
For battery energy storage systems, which are fast becoming a cornerstone of the European clean energy transition, funding covers up to 50% of installation costs for smaller businesses and 40% for medium-sized ones. However, eligible storage units must absorb at least 75% of the annual output from the connected renewable generation source—ensuring that systems are designed for effective self-consumption and grid relief, rather than simple backup use.
The tender is open exclusively to MSMEs operating in manufacturing, hospitality, sports facility management, vehicle services, and quarrying—sectors that form much of Sardinia’s productive base. Systems must be installed before 2030, with applications due by midday on June 30.
Cani emphasized that the program is not just a financial boost, but a structural intervention to help local enterprises regain competitiveness amid persistently high energy costs. “This tender will enable companies to significantly reduce energy bills, which have long been a critical burden for Sardinian businesses,” he noted. He also revealed that additional funding rounds worth more than €100 million are planned for 2026, expanding the region’s renewable and storage capacity.
The first information session for potential applicants will be held on November 14 in Olbia, hosted by the Consorzio Industriale Provinciale Nord Est Sardegna-Gallura. Further sessions will be organized in other parts of the island in the following weeks.
This new initiative follows a €20 million program launched in June to support low-income households in adopting home solar and battery systems. Together, the two measures reflect Sardinia’s growing commitment to decentralized energy and resilience—an especially relevant goal for an island whose energy system has long relied on costly imports and limited interconnection with the mainland grid.
From a broader European perspective, Sardinia’s move underscores how regional governments can use targeted funding to stimulate private investment in renewable generation and battery energy storage systems. For many MSMEs, the combination of high power prices and volatile markets has made self-generation and storage not only an environmental decision but also a financial necessity.
By linking solar power with C&I ESS adoption, the island is building a foundation for greater energy autonomy, stability, and economic recovery—one that could serve as a model for other Mediterranean and peripheral regions seeking to balance sustainability with competitiveness.
