Steel processing for photovoltaic and industrial processing of the energy supply chain

PV steel fabrications are redefining the value chain of renewable energy in Italy. The domestic market exceeded in 2024 the 32 gigawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity, according to data from the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), and continues to grow supported by NRP incentives and the revitalization of energy communities. This expansion involves not only the production of modules, but the entire mechanical and industrial infrastructure that supports their installation.

In today’s economic environment of energy volatility and fluctuating raw material costs, steel is a guarantee of production continuity. The Italian steel sector, according to the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, remains the second largest in Europe by volume, with more than 20 million tons produced by 2024. This robustness of supply chain enables metalworkers to meet the growing demand for ground-mounted PV system structures on time and to competitive industry standards.

Steel, compared with other materials, combines mechanical strength, durability and sustainability. It is fully recyclable and compatible with the criteria of the European green taxonomy. In an industry where investors demand traceability and ESG standards, PV metalwork becomes an integral part of the national decarbonization strategy, generating new synergies between industry, energy and manufacturing.

The growth of photovoltaics and the role of steel in the energy transition

In 2025, the Italian PV market looks to be expanding, but also fragmented. Demand for onshore facilities is growing faster than the supply of support facilities, prompting companies in the steel industry to convert production lines and industrialize processing for renewable energy.

Utility ladder installations, often built on marginal farmland or brownfields, require strong frames, anticorrosive galvanizing, and modular solutions capable of reducing installation costs.

The choice of steel meets technical and economic criteria. Unlike aluminum or concrete, steel makes it possible to optimize the relationship between strength, weight, and cost per installed kilowatt. Its ability to adapt to varying geometries and geotechnical constraints makes it ideal for large-scale installations, even in coastal or mountainous areas where corrosion and wind loads impose high ductility structures.

These principles are the same as those we lay behind our steel structures for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems already successfully applied in complex contexts.

At the same time, European and national policies are directing investment toward domestic production of structural components, reducing dependence on non-EU suppliers. For the steel supply chain, it means investing in automation, robotics and digitization of the production process, elements that are now crucial to ensure consistent volumes and certified traceability according to the UNI EN 1090 standard.

The evolution of steelwork for photovoltaics

Steel fabrications dedicated to photovoltaics have abandoned the artisanal model and evolved toward an integrated industrial system. The most advanced workshops operate with continuous profiling lines and laser cutting controlled by CAD/CAM software, capable of producing structural elements with tolerances of less than a millimeter. Digital fabrication makes it possible to reduce waste and optimize structural weight based on actual loads calculated at the design stage.

A crucial aspect is surface protection. Hot-dip or immersion galvanizing ensures corrosion resistance for more than 25 years even in coastal environments. In some cases, carpentries adopt duplex cycles (galvanizing + painting) to increase durability up to 40 years, reducing maintenance and ensuring a stable economic return to investors.

The integration of workshop and construction site is another turning point. Specialized companies now provide modular, pre-drilled and numbered prefabricated kits that reduce assembly time and minimize assembly errors in the field. This industrialization of the assembly process is consistent with the approach taken by Mantiero in the climatic carpentry for photovoltaics, where quality treatment and precision construction ensure consistent performance over time.

The Italian market for ground-mounted photovoltaic installations

According to the Terna Report 2025, ground-mounted PV installations account for more than 60 percent of new renewable capacity connected to the national grid. This growth has direct effects on the steel processing supply chain, which must handle large volumes with continuity and consistent quality. Firms supplying frames and structural supports must now meet stringent criteria for environmental certification, traceability, and resistance to wind and snow loads required by the Technical Standards for Construction (NTC 2018)..

The macroeconomic environment remains challenging. The rising cost of electricity and raw materials has affected the margins of Italian carpentries, but it has also accelerated the drive for production efficiency. Many workshops are introducing welding robots and automated nondestructive testing systems to ensure the repeatability and quality of joints. This shift from artisanal production to the industrialized model is now the main competitive advantage in the field of PV steel structures.

The trend is clear: PV is no longer just an energy opportunity, but a field of manufacturing innovation. The Italian steel supply chain, with its ability to design, produce and assemble in an integrated way, is becoming a central player in the country’s energy transition.

Structural solutions and process innovation for photovoltaic systems

The evolution of structural solutions for PV follows the same trajectory as the Italian manufacturing industry: automation, precision and sustainability. New generations of steel supports are designed to optimize mechanical behavior and installation logistics, adapting to soils with different geotechnical characteristics. The use of lightweight, high-strength profiles and self-supporting modular systems makes it possible to install PV fields with minimal earth movement and without concrete foundations, reducing construction time and costs.

These facilities must respond to increasingly complex environmental conditions. In Italy, 40 percent of ground-mounted PV systems are located in areas subject to high humidity or salinity, where corrosion is a critical variable. Long-cycle protective treatments, combined with galvanizing certified to UNI EN ISO 1461, are now the standard for ensuring durability beyond 20 years.

The same principles are adopted by Mantiero in the production of steel load-bearing structures for industrial and civil plants.

The design of photovoltaic structures is now entirely digitized. Parametric modeling software and BIM environments make it possible to simulate the static and dynamic behavior of the plant, optimizing the profile cross section and predicting the combined effects of wind, snow and temperature. This design precision results in reduced waste and more efficient use of raw materials, in line with the principles of thecircular steel economy.

Supply chain as a competitive lever for energy transition

Steel fabrications for photovoltaics no longer represent a niche market, but a high-tech industry segment. The Cassa Depositi e Prestiti highlights how the Italian steel industry, despite having recorded a decline in 2024 of 5% in production, is investing heavily in robotics, digitalization and plants with reduced environmental impact. This modernization process makes the steel-energy supply chain one of the most advanced in the European landscape.

For carpentry and EPC contractors, competitiveness is now played out on three variables: automation, control and certification. The integration of 3D modeling and automated manufacturing reduces the margin of error and ensures complete traceability, a requirement now a must in PNRR public tenders. UNI EN 1090 certification becomes not only a regulatory requirement, but a seal of approval for access to major energy projects. New generation photovoltaic power plants with capacities greater than 10 MW require constant and verifiable production capacity throughout the supply chain.

The PV steel supply chain is also distinguished by production flexibility.

Italian workshops, due to their small to medium size and territorial spread, are able to customize facilities according to terrain constraints and end-customer requirements. This adaptability, combined with logistical proximity, reduces transportation-related emissions and promotes a distributed production model consistent with the goals of the European Green Deal.

Comparison of production models in photovoltaics

A new industrial geography of renewable energy

Steel fabrications for photovoltaics today represent one of the few areas in which Italian industry combines innovation and real production. The growth of renewable energy, supported by European funds and the 2030 climate goals, is generating an industrial ecosystem in which steelmaking, carpentry and plant engineering work in synergy. This model, based on productive proximity and certified quality, can become a paradigm for the entire energy transition.

For businesses, the challenge is not only technological but also cultural. Investing in digitization, automation and training means consolidating a lasting competitive advantage. The steel supply chain has already demonstrated its ability to respond to economic crises with resilience and strategic vision; today it can become the material engine of Italy’s energy reconversion.

It is in this interweaving of manufacturing expertise and environmental goals that the new industrial culture of sustainable building is defined.

Learn about our steel structures for PV support now.