Energica Case Study

Sound Investment in Wind Energy
Energica Fleet - Sicily
Wind energy is the fastest growing
technology amongst all global energy-generating sources. In 2011 the total installed wind capacity around the
Project
world stood at 236 GW, by the end of
Wind Investment Site
Feed-in Tariff rate: 0.268 €/kWh 2015 that number had almost doubled
to 434 GW. With wind energy becoModel
ming a mainstream energy source, inNPS 60-24, 37 meter tower
vestors are increasingly comfortable
backing investments1. Areas with
Average wind speed
favourable climatic conditions, topo6.00 m/s
graphy, and environment have seen
dramatic increases in wind energy geAltitude
neration2. Italy is one of these markets.
1,130 m.a.s.l.
Location
Gangi, Sicily, Italy
Average AEP
196,000 kWh/Turbine
Use of Energy
100% grid export
It’s not too surprising to hear that Sicily is the most solar-irradiated
region in Italy, but it also has the most
wind. In that part of the country,
installed wind power rose from zero in
2005 to about 2,000 MW at the end of
2014 and is continuing to increase3.
storming ahead with small-scale
onshore wind energy, with 19 turbines
installed at various Sicilian sites to
date and more than 25 units in the pipeline. All are Northern Power Systems
(NPS) wind turbines, predominantly
NPS 60-24 with 37 meter towers.
The average Annual Energy Production
(AEP) across all units installed in
Gangi equals 196,000 kWh/unit, which is exported to the grid under a feed-in-tariff of € 0.268/kWh.
Energica is so pleased with the quality
of the NPS wind turbines, their actual
performance in terms of reliability and
energy production as well as the competence of the individual NPS team
members that they decided to invest
in the NPS product personally. The
company purchased two turbines in
2015 and a further three units in 2016.
Energica srl is an Italian company
“We are so pleased with the quality of the NPS wind turbines, their actual performance
in terms of reliability and energy production as well as the competence of the individual
NPS team members that we decided to invest in the NPS product personally”
- Luca Palmeri, CEO at Energica Srl
Case Study - APPLICATION: FEED-IN TARIFF
NPS 60-24 Turbines installed in Gangi, Sicily
The Northern Power Systems’ Solution
Luca Palmeri, CEO at Energica Srl, first met NPS in 2012
at the Eolica Expo Mediterranean, an industry trade fair
held in Rome. A recently enacted regional law included a Ministerial Decree which effectively allowed the
installation of small wind turbines with rated power up
to 60 kW through a ‘Simplified Procedure’ without restriction on hub- and tip height. The Eolica Expo was an
opportunity for Luca to investigate the small wind market in detail. Soon thereafter Energica was convinced of
both the best in class NPS 60 wind turbine as well as
Northern Power’s experience and impeccable track record compared to any of its competitors.
Energica Initiated the authorization process for multiple small-wind turbine installations. By June 2013 Luca
decided to purchase a NPS 60- wind turbine, which was
installed in November 2013, the first of many NPS wind
turbines in Sicily.
Enthused by the outstanding commercial and financial success of this first Turbine installation, Luca
negotiated for Energica to become Northern Power
Systems’exclusive development partner for end users
and private investors in Sicily.
Commercial and Environmental Benefits
RELIABLE, PROVEN TECHNOLOGY The NPS 60-24 is designed for ultimate reliability, coupled with Northern
Power’s 10-year Performance Guarantee Program (PGP),
98% fleet availability, 24/7 monitoring and local service
commitments. The turbine’s low-maintenance gearless
design allows the owner-operators of Energica to focus
on business rather than turbine maintenance. Because
of its reliability there is no need for a team of maintenance professionals to keep the wind turbine operating at
maximum capacity.
Above: NPS 60-24 Turbine installed in Gangi, Sicily.
VALUE-ADDED: GREEN CREDENTIALS Green renewable
energy is proving popular throughout Italy to replace
traditional fossil fuel generation with clean, renewable
power.
A SAFE, SOLID INVESTMENT The NPS 60 wind turbine
provides best in class performance with AEP exceeding
that represented by its published power curve. Availability and adaptability to varying wind conditions are
qualities that differentiate the NPS 60 from other wind
turbines in its class and make this a sound investment.
Above: Alessandro Seminatore, project manager at Energica.
World Wind Energy Association 2016
‘Small Wind Technology Diffusion in Suburban Areas of Sicily’,
Sustainability 2015, 7
3
‘The remarkable impact of renewable energy generation in Sicily onto electricity price formation in Italy’, Energy Science &
Engineering 2016 4(3): 194-204
1
Northern Power Systems
2
Thurgauerstrasse, 40
8050 Zurich, Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 307 3733
northernpower.com