Biomass heating in Italy: an updated picture and the dynamics of an evolving sector.

Wood biomass heating continues to be one of the pillars of Italian home heating.

In 2023, the total number of generators installed reached 8.95 million units , a sign of their widespread presence throughout the country and their continued central role for many families. Wood, pellets, and wood chips remain strategic energy sources, even though the installation portfolio displays strong heterogeneity: alongside modern, high-performance technologies, older appliances persist, impacting efficiency and emissions .

Wood remains the main source, with over 6.35 million generators (71.5%), while pellet fuel is growing steadily, reaching 2.5 million units (28.1%). Wood chip boilers represent a residual share, but they demonstrate the diversity of solutions used across the region.

Installed technologies: between tradition and innovation

Residential biomass is still dominated by generators that directly heat the environment: over 96% of installations are stoves and fireplaces, while only 3.5% are boilers that power multiple residential units.

The most widespread technologies are:

• pellet stoves, today at 24%;
• wood stoves, at 19.6%;
• wood inserts, at 16%.

Open fireplaces—despite being in decline—are still very present and represent the most critical segment in terms of efficiency and performance.

Analyzing the 2014–2023 trend , a transformational trend emerges: pellet use is growing significantly (+75.6% for stoves, +94.1% for inserts), while all less efficient technologies are gradually declining. The trend confirms a greater focus on automated, controlled appliances with lower emissions.

Market and consumption: signs of rebalancing

In 2023, the market showed a rebalancing between pellets and wood . After years of pellet dominance (about 70% of sales in the previous decade), its share fell to 61.4%, while wood-burning appliances rose to 38.4%. However, pellet stoves remain the best-selling product, accounting for over half of the units released on the market.

On the consumption front, the country used 13.3 million tons of biofuels :

• 72% wood,
• 21% pellets,
• 7% wood chips.

Over the last ten years, wood prices have dropped by 11.2%, while pellet prices have grown by 71.3%, a sign of a gradual shift towards more modern and performance-stable solutions.

An energy infrastructure that requires new policies

The data demonstrates a key element for the energy transition : biomass heating is not a marginal sector, but a widespread energy infrastructure that affects millions of buildings. Recognizing its importance and widespread use means developing more targeted policies, geared toward replacing obsolete generators, improving emissions performance, and supporting more efficient technologies.

Biomass can continue to contribute to decarbonisation , but only through a gradual renewal of the installed base and increasing attention to the quality of biofuels, maintenance and correct sizing of the plants.