28 September 2011 marks the inauguration of a record-breaking photovoltaic rooftop installation, the largest in Italy: 12.3 million Watts installed on the roofs of 18 buildings and 7 carpark shelters of the logistics firm Interporto di Padova. The system is being developed by Solon S.p.A., an Italian subsidiary of the Berlin-based Solon SE group and leading manufacturer of photovoltaic modules and systems in Italy.
The system produces energy which is fed into the power grid: the power produced on the roofs of Interporto di Padova will supply electrical energy to roughly 4,000 households.
The customer couldn’t be more satisfied! Interporto Solare S.r.l. is a project company jointly owned by Orizzonte SGR (Fondo Sistema Infrastrutture) and Fondaco SGR (Fondo PPP Italia) which together hold 90% of the shares, while Sinloc S.p.A. holds 6% and Solon S.p.A. holds the remaining 4%.
“The inauguration of the plant running at full capacity is an important event,” stated Giuseppe D’Agostino, President of Interporto Solare S.r.l. “Speaking for all the partners I can affirm that we are extremely pleased with our investment of over 50 million Euros, repaid by the excellent performance of the installation which in these first few months has already produced far more that Solon had initially guaranteed.”
In fact the Interporto plant represents the best possible future for photovoltaics: not just because of its record-breaking dimensions, but above all because of the type of installation. “By making use of all the roofs of the buildings and work sheds,” explained the Solon S.p.A.’s CEO Emiliano Pizzini, “we developed a zero environmental impact installation by occupying surfaces that would otherwise be left unused. This is a perfect example of sustainable industrial development which is precisely the direction that Solon S.p.A’s future is heading in. Furthermore, we used ‘0 kilometre’ modules, that is, modules produced locally in our factory in Carmignano di Brenta near Padua, which is in keeping with our policy of local production and consumption.”
“The construction of this immense photovoltaic installation is in perfect harmony with the philosophy that Interporto Padova has always upheld: that is, to provide both the local and national productive fabric with environmentally sustainable transport and logistics infrastructures,” stated Sergio Giordani the President of Interporto Padova S.p.A. “The properties we offer boast sustainability as one of the leading edge technical features that make them stand out from the crowd. Together, our rail-road intermodal terminal and Cityporto, our urban freight distribution service, reinforce our commitment to achieving sustainable logistics.”
The huge investment was backed by BIIS, Banca Infrastrutture Innovazione e Sviluppo, assisted by Banca Popolare Dell’Alto Adige Volksbank, Cassa Centrale Raiffeisen dell’Alto Adige S.p.A. and Banca Popolare di Verona S.p.A.
“Our participation in this project,” explained Andrea Bressani, Head of Client Relationships Italy at BIIS, “stems from the conviction that the project concerns a major infrastructure located in an area, the Northeast, identified as critical to the country’s economic development. Our commitment to the renewable energy sector, in which we have to date invested over 2 billion Euros, springs from the prospect of combining environmental protection, through the generation of energy produced and utilized on the spot without greenhouse gas emissions, with the creation of job opportunities having an economic impact on the territory."
“Our having been chosen as the only photovoltaic inverter supplier for this record-breaking roof-top installation, was not only a strategic opportunity for Power-One, but a great honour as well,“ commented Giuseppe Ricci, Director General and CEO of Power-One Italy S.p.A. “The extent, the importance and the location make the Interporto installation a reference model for how to best harness clean energy from the sun for use by industry and private households.”
Facts and figures relating to the plant
Peak output: 12.3 MW
Plant sections: flush-mounted modules, tilted modules on flat roofs, solutions with asbestos roof abatement, photovoltaic carports, integrated systems
Covered surface: 250,000 square metres over 18 roofs (11.3 MW) and 7 carpark shelters (1 MW)
Asbestos abated area: 40,000 square metres
Number and type of photovoltaic modules employed: 49,000 polycrystalline silicon modules SOLON BLUE (11.2 MW), 7,500 amorphous silicon modules Unisolar PVL (1.1 MW)
Number and type of inverters employed: 49 inverters Power-One PVI central TL
Finish date : December 2010
Grid connection date: between October 2010 and April 2011
Feed-in tariff incentive: various incentives provided by the 2nd Italian Conto Energia (Feed-in Tariff ), corresponding to the different levels of integration
CO2 saving: 8,000 tonnes per year
Expected annual production: 13 million kilowatt hours, equal to an annual consumption of 4,000 households
Investment: 50 million Euros
Customer: Interporto Solare S.r.l.