Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 3:03:42 PM - by Nate Lew

A California solar power company is involved with a project that will see the construction of the largest photovoltaic plant in Italy.

SunPower Corp. is working with SunRay Renewable Energy on a 24 megawatt facility in Montalto di Castro, Italy. The photovoltaic array will be situated on 80 hectares of land, making it the largest solar plant in Italy.

"The Montalto di Castro project is an important milestone for our industry, confirming solar power plants are financeable today when you combine a world-class developer with an industry-leader offering technology and unparalleled experience in solar power design and construction," said SunTech's Mario Riello.

Along with generating electricity for thousands of local homes, the photovoltaic array is expected to feature a visitor center to help residents and school children learn more about renewable energy.

The company also noted that the current project is merely the first phase of a broader 100 megawatt solar energy project that is expected to become fully operational later next year. The array also uses SunPower's tracking technology, which allows more solar energy to be generated by having the photovoltaic panels track the sun as it moves across the sky.


Note: Correction has been made to correct the manufacturer of the tracking technology.