Mini wind turbines

In the field of microgeneration from renewable sources, mini wind turbines (up to 20 kW) represent an interesting opportunity for public local administrations and private small- and medium-scale companies, as well as farms and tourism facilities. Recent years have seen regulations adapt to favour more small-scale wind plants in Italy, with a system of national subsidies making the construction of plants with generators below 200 kW capacity very advantageous.

Olicar has begun to invest in the production of mini wind turbines under the Eolicar brand. The aim is to integrate the application of cutting-edge technology developed in-house with the company’s core activity (energy management) to facilitate access for local public administrations, organizations, schools, universities and hospitals as well as private users. Eolicar is well placed to take advantage of interesting synergies within the mini wind generation market. The company, created out of the partnership between Olicar and CFM Air, is currently investing in the development of wind turbine prototypes of 5, 15 and 20 kW. Eolicar will begin producing and marketing its turbines in 2009.

For more information download the Eolicar information sheet in pdf format (in italian only) >

All-inclusive rate system for plants below or equal to 200 kW

For plants below or equal to 200 kW the new incentive system recognizes a fixed all-inclusive rate of €0.30/kWh for 15 years. This includes both the electricity transfer and the incentive and can be revised every three years by a ministerial decree from the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. The electrical energy produced must flow into the electricity network, so a “stand-alone” plant cannot receive incentives. If capacity is below 20 kW, the plant can also benefit from net metering (expected to be increased to 200 kW by executive decrees as part of the 2008 Budget). Net metering means “a service to an electric consumer under which electric energy generated by that electric consumer from an eligible on-site generating facility and delivered to the local distribution facilities may be used to offset electric energy provided by the electric utility to the electric consumer during the applicable billing period.” (U.S.A. Energy Policy Act 2005). The main advantage is the reduction in the consumer’s electricity bill.

The current system of green certificates continues to apply to plants with a capacity of more than 200 kW. Starting from 2008, the green certificates issued by GSE (the Italian electrical services authority) in accordance with Article II, Sub-section 3 of the Legislative Decree of 16 March 1999, n. 79, are placed on the market at a price (based on electrical MWh), equal to the difference between the benchmark value, fixed during the first application at €180/MWh, and the annual average price of electrical energy transfer as defined by the electricity and gas authority in accordance with Article 13, Sub-section 3 of the Legislative Decree of 29 December 2003, n. 387, set in the preceding year and communicated by the authority before 31 January of every year with effect from 2008.