"Charter for the sustainable revitalization of photovoltaics". The interviews.

The new pact for Photovoltaics, an alliance between major companies and associations to facilitate investment in the renewal and upgrading of solar power plants, has been initialled today in Rome at GSE. The “charter for the sustainable revitalization of photovoltaics” constitutes a voluntary declaration by operators, who undertake to follow certain principles in order to renew and develop photovoltaic installations. The agreement was signed by all the main companies and associations: renewable ANIE, ASI Italian solar company, Eco-PV, EF solar Italy, future electricity, Enel Green Power, Enerray, Esapro, Falck Renewables, Green Arrow, GSF Global solar Fund, RTR, Tages, Terna.

Giuseppe Tammaro CEO Global Solar Fund, intervenes launched the proposal: “We are 14 subscribers of the Charter of sustainable revitalization of photovoltaics: let us 10 goals, and we try to achieve them by discussing with the GSE and with the minister at a permanent table” The paper is based on the results of a study by Althesys developed in collaboration with Enel Foundation, GSE and the major players active in the sector in Italy, analyzing the conditions to revive solar energy, highlighting the advantages that can lead to the system Italy. The economic effects deriving from the relaunch and the development of large plants are estimated at 11 billion euros. The Althesys report, presented this morning, also estimates in almost 20,000 new employees (between direct and indirect) employment potential, with a reduction in emissions of 12.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents.

The study detects how the Italian photovoltaic park, despite an average age still low and between the 8-10 years (6 years the average age of utility scales), monsters different criticalities that limit in part the efficiency. The decay of production is estimated at 2.2% per annum at 2016, well above the physiological expected at the time of installation.

With the sharp decline of the installed after the end of the energy accounts (less than 400 MW average annually in the period 2014-2017), the new power is limited to replacing the “lost”: At 2030, the total loss would be 5,000 MW, equal to 25% of the power existing at 2017.

The utility scales affected by problems reach 40% of the total (2, 5-3.3 GW), with a total cost of modernization that would be around 220-270 million euro. About 19 MW will come out of the incentive between 2029 and 2035, but they can continue to produce if maintained efficiently, since their useful life is estimated in 25-30 years.

To reach the targets, Italy should therefore initiate a process of modernization of the Photovoltaic Park utility scale (which is 0.8% of total plants, but well 43.7% of the power), in order to keep it efficient through interventions of revamping and Repowering. From the revamping you could recover up to 4,000 MW of power at 2030, while the repowering can provide, at the same date, 1.550-1,700 MW additional.

However, it serves a specific policy, which provides a clear and stable regulatory framework that gives certainty about the possibility of intervening in installations, a simplification of authorisation processes for extensions and coordination for the development of the network.

In parallel, it is necessary to create the conditions for developing new plants: the definition of land classification instruments, the identification of “preferential areas”, a regulatory and market environment suitable for PPPs, support tools Indirect as super depreciation and tax credit. In the immediate future, it is finally necessary that the auctions foreseen by the draft decree 2018-20, not yet enacted and now urgent.

SOURCE Althesys