Italy

Revamping in Villa Franca

Between spring and summer, CCE Holding initiated a revamping project at one of the first plants built in Italy: the 990 kWp IGEP Francavilla plant, built in Apulia in 2011, underwent a complete modernisation. The aim of the measure is to increase its efficiency and thus its sustainability.

More than 13 years after the PV system was first connected to the grid, the data collected showed a significant drop in the performance of the modules, which were showing obvious signs of ageing. We therefore decided to completely modernise the system and replace the old modules with 2,414 new modules of the latest generation.

This allowed us to extend the service life of the system so that it can continue to produce renewable energy. In addition, the revamping will reduce maintenance costs, thereby increase the economic sustainability of the project and improve the efficiency of the entire system.

Immediate positive effects of modernisation

 Thanks to the replacement of the old modules, the PR (performance ratio, which indicates the ratio between actual and expected theoretical production) of the plant rose from 63% in July 2024 to 90% in July 2025. At the same time, the EPI (Energy Performance Index, which measures how much energy the plant has produced per installed kWp in a given period) rose from 73% in July 2024 to 104% in July 2025.

Both indicators show a significant improvement in the efficiency of the plant with the same amount of solar radiation.

Recycling the modules

The question of what happens to old photovoltaic modules when they are replaced is very important in terms of sustainability:

Disused photovoltaic modules are classified as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and must be disposed of in accordance with legal requirements. In the case of systems with a capacity of more than 10 MW, they are classified as commercial waste electrical and electronic equipment and handed over to an approved recycling facility, which takes care of their disposal and recycling.

The decommissioned modules from the IGEP system in Francavilla went to Re Open, a certified operator for the recycling of photovoltaic modules in Italy. The recycling process began with the manual removal of the aluminium frames, followed by mechanical shredding and separation of the materials.

Currently, not all components of a photovoltaic module are recyclable: some materials cannot be separated and are therefore sent for thermal recycling. Nevertheless, at the end of the recycling process, around 93% of the materials used in each module can be recovered, including glass, silicon, copper and aluminium.

To ensure that photovoltaic modules are properly recycled at the end of their life cycle, the GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici, central energy service in Italy) has set up a WEEE retention system. This system requires a certain amount to be deposited with the GSE for each module in a completed installation (initially €10 per module, rising to €20 from 2024). The total amount is paid in variable instalments over the entire lifetime of the installation. When the modules are taken out of service, the amount is refunded after the modules have been dismantled and recycled in accordance with environmental regulations and provided that the GSE is sent a certificate of this process together with the necessary documentation.

Revamping creates space for innovation

The modernisation not only enabled us to extend the service life of the plant. By installing more modern modules, the original performance is maintained, but on a smaller area. This allowed us to free part of the site on which the plant stands from modules, support structures and create an area that is available for the integration of new and different technological solutions – such as BESS or electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen.