The Spanish multinational OPDE built throughout the first quarter of 2011 a total of 36.43 MW in eight farms located in Italy and Spain. For this construction more than 182 million Euros have been invested.

In particular, the new solar photovoltaic plants built and connected by OPDE in the first quarter of 2011, include: six in the Italian region of Piedmont that will reach 26.09 MWp power and two solar farms in Spain (Fontellas in Navarre, and Ecija in Seville) with 8.74 MWp and 1.6 MWp of power respectively.

The new plants use MECASOLAR trackers and fixed structures, SMA inverters and TRINA and Canadian Solar modules. In particular, a total of 2,792 MECASOLAR 1-axis trackers and the same number of inverter units model 11000 TL from SMA. The modules used in the 36.43 MW constructed were over 161,000 units of TRINA (101,843) and CANADIAN SOLAR (57,623 models)

These figures represent a record activity for OPDE that have accumulated in the period 2005-2010 a total of 101 MW built and connected, a figure which, with the activity in the first quarter of 2011 - has risen to 137.43 MW, having grown by 37% in just three months. With these additional 36.43 MW, noteworthy is the fact that OPDE performs the operation and maintenance of the eight farms both in Spain, and Italy.

Besides these projects, OPDE has a pipeline of fully legalized projects for the next quarter which will reach 40.32 MW distributed in a further 10 solar photovoltaic plants in Italy and Spain and which will involve an investment of more than 200 million Euros. The multinational company announced earlier this year that its goal was to reach 200 MW by 2012, so as to reach more than 300 MW throughout its trajectory.


According to reports from the multinational, OPDE maintains contacts with various customers and investment funds, both European and American, for the sale of photovoltaic solar plants built and connected by the company in 2011 and for the entire pipeline already mentioned, which is being developed in other countries.

Competitive improvement in the organization

OPDE record activity during the first months of the year is due in part to the change in the Board of Directors and the addition of a new Executive Team at Grupo OPDE at the end of 2010, incorporating José Antonio Mieres as the new CEO and Group Chief Executive.

The new multinational bodies have meant the recruitment of senior executives and a team of highly qualified professionals in different areas of the Group (Management, Corporate Services, General Management, Operation and Maintenance, etc.), as well as new engineers and site managers with extensive work experience.

These new additions have allowed OPDE to increase the speed of construction of the photovoltaic plants. In fact, until 2011, never had so many MWs been built in such a short time, considering that in just three months more than 1 / 3 of everything that had been built over the last 5 years had been constructed.

Similarly, the new organization of the group has made it possible to reduce construction costs due to the incorporation of strict tendering processes in all matters related to construction (including building works, low voltage and other aspects of the works) with the maximum guarantees, supplier commitment and quality of execution, giving entry into this field of new and more competitive suppliers

The multinational also emphasizes that the renewal has improved internal processes of the organization to address the new international challenges when facing the entry into new markets and business areas and diversification of products in other renewable technologies.

"All this leads to the improved effectiveness and efficiency of OPDE, in accordance with the way forward for the entire PV industry to reach grid parity" in a statement from company management.