Enel Green Power SpA products

The potential of solar power worldwide, with particular reference to photovoltaic (PV) energy, is huge: according to the EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) the photovoltaic sector has been growing at an average rate of 35% in the last ten years.

Wind power has been experiencing an extraordinary development in the last few years. And it is expected to grow at a rate of 30% per year in the near future. In Italy it has been the source that has reported the highest growth in the last decade.

Geothermal power provides an answer to the needs regarding environmental protection and sustainable development: it`s a source that works constantly, harnessing the Earth`s natural heat. Italy is the country where geothermal energy was first harnessed for industrial purposes and is still one of the main producers of geothermal electric energy in the world. More than one hundred years have gone by since July 4th. 1904, when in Larderello, Tuscany, five lamps were lit by converting into electricity the power of the steam that came from under the ground. Since then, the history of geothermal power has become a reason of pride for the Italian energy industry and a jewel in the crown of Enel Green Power.

The exploitation of `biomass` resources represents an important chapter in the development of renewable sources in Europe. This source is expected to provide a significant contribution to the production of electricity, heat and biofuels, which represent the main alternative to fossil fuels in the transportation sector. Enel Green Power is planning to offer its support for the development of the bio-energy industry in Italy.

The generation of hydroelectric energy occupies the first place at a global level. In Europe the hydroelectric potential is now being entirely utilised. This is why, Enel Green Power is now concentrating on run-of-river hydro power, a type of system that, despite having a limited unit power, can give a significant contribution to the demand of electricity.The role of the mini-hydro plants, furthermore, is even more enhanced by the growing need to protect the environment. Small-scale hydroelectric plants are in fact characterized by construction and organizational modalities with a very low impact on the surrounding area. Moreover, they can also be managed by small communities, as well as be integrated into a collective and balanced system of water resource usage