Rimini, November 7, 2008 - Enel.si and Legacoop Nazionale (the Association of Italian Cooperatives) have reached an agreement to promote the use of renewable energy sources among all members of the association of cooperatives.
Specifically, this joint project named Coopsole envisages the creation of one or more companies in the form of cooperatives in order to design, build and manage photovoltaic plants to produce sun-generated power.
This is a completely innovative formula that allows Legacoop members to invest in the generation of emission-free energy even without having a site suitable for the installation of their own photovoltaic system. They will be able to purchase shares of the plants that will be built, regardless of their location. As a result, they will support the generation of photovoltaic energy as well as helping to reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
The return on their investment will be based on the share they acquire and the plants production capacity, thanks to Conto Energia, the incentive mechanism launched by the government in 2005 with the aim to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and help reducing the emissions of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Mixed working groups, composed of Enel.si and Legacoop experts are now launching the assessment of the technical, economic and corporate feasibility of the project as well as identifying suitable sites where these systems can be installed.
The initial actors involved in the Coopsole project include cooperatives of residents interested in the use of extra space near members houses such as gardens, parks and parking areas in order to self-produce green energy.
Another option under exam involves the use of abandoned farmland owned by cooperatives, especially in the southern regions that enjoy the most sunshine.
Giuliano Poletti commented, We believe that the cooperative system should make an effort to help developing the production of photovoltaic energy in a cooperative way, in order to lower emissions, create new green jobs and make our companies more competitive. As Jeremy Rifkin noted in his book The Hydrogen Economy, cooperatives are the businesses in the best position to develop new networks of distributed and democratic power generation, he continued. We believe in this partnership with Enel.si as a way to allow our cooperatives to access the best renewable technologies under the best conditions.
Francesco Starace, Director of Enels Renewable Energy Division, noted, We are extremely proud to work with Legacoop in order to continue to spread, throughout Italy, the distributed generation of energy from renewable sources. Giving those who do not have a suitable site the chance to purchase shares in a photovoltaic plant means offering everyone a real opportunity to help lower CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Enel.si, which is part of the new Renewable Energy Division created by Enel just over a month ago to promote activities in the renewable energy sector and develop Enels presence in this field, is Italys leading provider of photovoltaic plants, and it guarantees value-added services to its customers. It works closely with families and businesses through a network of franchise shops and directly through its technical and sales organization, in order to propose the best solutions for savings and energy efficiency. Enel.si employs the most advanced technologies available on the market to pursue its goals of resource optimization and respect of the environment.