Technical and economic performance analysis of large-scale ground-mounted PV plants in Italian context

During the last decade, the market penetration of photovoltaic (PV) technology has been increased tremendously worldwide. In the EU context, following the quick development in German and Spanish PV sector, Italy is currently one of the most interesting market. In view of these facts, it is strategic to perform detailed technical and economic analyses to establish energy performances and profitability of the PV plants, depending on their configurations. In particular, in addition to the selection of main components, such as inverters and modules, which are now characterized, on average, by good performance levels, the debate on the support structures is still open. In detail, the choice may fall, for example, on traditional fixed structures or on one/two axis tracking systems, that could ensure best productivity per unit of power, but also are typically characterized by higher complexity and land-occupation factors than the first ones. The purpose of this work is to carry out performance analyses on the most widespread plant configurations, taking into account different Italian climatic contexts, considering technical, energetic, and economic points of view. With this aim, different types of components (modules and inverters) and ground-mounting structures (fixed, one-axis, two-axis) have been evaluated. Subsequently, their obtainable performances have been estimated in three different locations (Milano, Roma, Palermo) that have been considered representative of average irradiation levels available in Italy. Analyses have been carried out by computer simulations, through two consequent levels of detail, highlighting the main performance influence-factors. In conclusion, the final profitability of each analyzed configuration has been evaluated, giving a reliable indication on their effective economic advantages. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.