Your daily dose of photovoltaic technology developments and solar news

Siliken, the Spanish renewable energy company, has entered into an agreement with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) to set up a 9.8MW power solar photovoltaics plant in the Italian city of Fiumicino, Rome. Once complete this will be the largest PV installation in the region and one of the biggest in Italy.

Evergreen Solar's 5MW power plant in Apulia, Italy is now online. The project, which was designed and installed by project developer Greenvision, is the largest installation of Evergreen Solar panels to date.

Norwegian power generator Statkraft has reached an agreement with Siemens Energy to build up to 40MW of new solar capacity in 2010. The company opened its first solar power plant in Aprilia, Italy, which will go towards this goal, on March 11. The 3.3MW Casale solar park is expected to reach the annual power production mark of 4.5GWh.

SunEdison has received final approval from the Italian government to develop and construct what will be the largest solar power plant in Europe. The 72MW project will be based in Northeastern Italy, near the town of Rovigo.

Prime Sun Power has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of a 25MW PV power plant in Italy. PSP receives interest for €12 million of strategic investments in the company from module suppliers; it is expected to generate gross revenues of over €100 million in 2010. This contract is the first to be signed under the terms of a signed frame agreement to sell 100MW projects on a turnkey grid-connected basis to an institutional investor.

Phaesun, along with its partner Ikratos Africa, is constructing 10 solar power plants in Koudougou Region in Burkina Faso, which is one of the poorest regions in the world. The plants are due to be completed at the end of March 2010 and will provide renewable electricity for telecommunications plants.

Colexon Energy has begun the construction of a solar power plant with a total capacity of almost 1MWp in the North Italian community Imola. The plant will benefit from the feed-in tariff in Italy, which is set for 20 years.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) is to develop a 10MW photovoltaic power plant in Fiumicino, Rome. The facility will be developed in partnership with Turin-based Solesa Green Power and once complete will be one of the largest in Italy.

A Bloomberg report released on February 22 claims that German chancellor Angela Merkel's government will again revise the subsidy cuts for farmland converted to take solar systems. According to an unpublished draft put together by the government, this kind of installation will no longer receive financial support.

Puglia, south-east Italy is the site for the new solar power plant that is to be constructed by Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción following the company’s successful bid for the title of developer for the project. The 8MW facility will cost in the region of €27 million, which is being financed by Unicredit Mediocredito Centrale and commissioned by Pugliasolar.