Padua, 25. November 2009 – A broad network of solar farms with an overall capacity exceeding 60 megawatts. This is the plan already well under way adopted by Silfab in Italy while working at a new international project to develop a fully integrated photovoltaic supply chain, starting from solar-grade polysilicon.

Early this month, the company has opened the first 5 next-generation solar farms near Bari and Taranto. The new farms are completely funded by Silfab, for a total investment that exceeds 20 million Euros, and have a capacity of 1 MW each. By the end of 2009, the company is slated to complete four additional solar plants in the Apulia province of Bari for an overall investment of almost 40 million Euros.

While the original project of establishing a Polysilicon manufacturing plant in Borgofranco d'Ivrea (Turin) is losing ground, Silfab is currently evaluating new opportunities overseas to develop a PV photovoltaic value chain based on a groundbreaking operating model. The idea is to build the first PV manufacturing plant completely powered by clean and renewable hydroelectric energy to create the entire photovoltaic supply chain of products and systems, from polysilicon to modules.

Should this project succeed, Silfab would become the first photovoltaic company in the world operating exclusively with a "Greento-Green" model. More importantly, each kWh (Kilowatt per Hour) of hydroelectric power would be transformed in 15 kWh of solar energy generated by Silfab's PV modules during their life cycle - a process that would dramatically amplify both environmental and economic benefits.

By the end of 2010 Silfab also plans to install a new set of 1-5 MW solar farms across Europe with high-performing, long-term output power capacities (typically beyond 30 years) that dramatically increase the level of investment profitability and safety. In the current volatile market economy, nominal power is typically the benchmark that defines the productivity of a photovoltaic plant (i.e. kilowatt peak).

In reality, the profitability of PV plants can be effectively appreciated only by considering the overall output capacity during the entire life cycle - that is, productivity lies in average cost per kWh rather than mere nominal power. In fact, following this very logic, the Italian government energy incentives plan funds the long-term energy output of each new system installed during its first 20 years of activity.

Source: Silfab SpA