Edison Next, a unit of Italian energy supplier Edison SpA today said it will provide a 7.1-MWp solar system for Berco, a producer of undercarriage components and systems for tracked earthmoving machinery, which is part of industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp AG.
Edison Next has signed a 20-year onsite power purchase agreement (PPA) with Berco under which it will design, build and manage the photovoltaic (PV) array.
The ground-mounted system will be installed at Berco's historical Copparo site in the province of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. It will feature 11,600 PV modules, with most of them deployed on single-axis trackers and the remaining part on fixed structures. The system is expected to produce about 11,000 MWh per year, meeting 9% of the plant's electricity requirements. It will contribute to the reduction of both energy costs and the facility’s environmental footprint.
Just over 80% of the generation will be consumed by the site, while the balance can be stored or fed into the grid, Edison Next said.
