Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 09:00h

Solar power in the Trade Fair enclosure

Panel layout (simulation)
A solar power plant to be built in the Gran Vía enclosure will be the second biggest rooftop solar power plant in the world

The new Gran Vía enclosure of the ‘Fira de Barcelona' trade fair centre is to be equipped with a photovoltaic solar power plant on the rooftop of the complex's pavilions. The plant, which will enter into operation in September 2008 and the equipment for which will commence construction in February, will be sixth largest operating rooftop solar power system in the world.
The project will have a power level of 3.26 MW and will generate 4.4 GWh of electricity per year, which is enough to power 980 4-person households. The company set up to build this trade fair enclosure, Fira 2000, is to invest 19.8 million euros in the project.

The plant will cover 135,000 square metres of the rooftops of pavilions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 and in it second phase it will be extended to the 30,000 square metres of the roofs of the still incomplete pavilions 5 and 7, with a potential additional power of 1.2 MW. The plant's entry into operation will reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 2,047 tonnes each year. The sale of electricity generated by the photovoltaic farm will generate income of 72.3 million euros in the first 30 years of activity.