Plenitude, the energy company jointly controlled by Eni and Ares, introduced its SunStep home-solar service in Italy on 21 October. Designed for single-family homes, the offer lets customers use a photovoltaic system with a battery through a fixed monthly payment instead of paying the full purchase cost upfront. When on-site generation and stored energy are insufficient, the home continues to draw electricity from the grid.

The company listed starting terms of €39.90 per month and an initial contribution from €799. Plenitude will handle design, installation, grid connection, monitoring and routine and extraordinary maintenance while retaining ownership for the 13-year contract term. From year four, customers may buy the system at a predetermined value that declines over time; an end-of-contract ownership option is also available. Taxes, consumption and contract-specific terms can affect total costs, so the advertised starting charges do not establish each household’s final bill.