a+f GmbH, which forms part of the Gildemeister Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of metal-cutting machine tools, has been contracted to install its highly successful SunCarrier controlled tracker system in yet another PV solar park in Italy.
On behalf of a German investor, a+f is constructing eight SunCarrier solar parks in Foggia (Apulia) over an area equivalent to 46 football pitches. The solar parks will supply enough energy to provide 3,800 four-person households with electricity per annum.
The Gildemeister Group plans on expanding its activities in Italy still further and is already involved in negotiating other contracts. “Our main focus is currently directed towards southern Europe. Although we will shortly tackle the growing US market, said Petsch.
a+f is planning on constructing individual SunCarrier plants in India, while it has developed its SkyCarrier tracking system to make optimum use of the sun’s power in regions close to the equator, particularly in the Middle East where a reference unit can currently be found in Dubai.
Coming off the back of another major Italian order in June
a+f has announced the new €36 million deal just three months after winning another major order in Italy of €41.1 million for nine solar parks with an output up to 1 MW each, also in the Apulia region. Southern Italy is considered to be a growing market in the solar business as the conditions for operating photovoltaic plants are attractive. “The Italian market continues to prove to be successful and promising”, says Thomas Petsch, managing director of a+f GmbH.
The SunCarrier tracking system certainly offers added value to solar park developers, especially in areas with high levels of solar radiation such as Southern Italy. With a module surface area of up to 287.5 square metres, SunCarrier provides an average output of 38 kWp using standard PV modules are fitted, while output can be increased up to 53 kWp per tracking system if high-efficiency modules are installed. At any given location in Spain, for example, this would be the same as supplying more than 30 households with power, each consuming 3,500 kWh per annum.
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