At the IEA  PVPS Workshop on PV power plants for multi-megawatt power generation, which was held in Paestum, Italy in July 1994, more than 15 MWp of installed grid-connected photovoltaic power plant were presented and reviewed. The Workshop was sponsored and organized by the electricity utility, ENEL. Participants assessed the state-of-the-art of modular multi-megawatt PV power plants, and addressed the possible evolution of the technology.

Existing PV plants which were reviewed included the nearby 3,3 MWp ENEL plant at Serre, the DELPHOS and Vasto projects in Italy, the 1 MWp power station in Toledo, Spain, other plants in Japan, USA, Germany and Switzerland and the life story of the Carrisa Plains plant in the USA, which was the first plant of its type in the world. Over forty organisations participated, included representatives from utilities, which use PV (ENEL, RWE, SMUD), PV manufacturers (ANIT, APS, BP Solar, DASA, Eurosolare, Helios, Siemens and Solarex) and various international R&D and consulting organisations such as Conphoebus, ENEA, Endecon, Fraunhofer, Carlo Gavazzi, IT Power, Strategies Unlimited, TEAM and WIP.

The impact of module efficiency and overall costs, the measured benefits of PV grid support at weak points of the grid, and the reductions in installed costs being achieved with new plant as a result of experience gained were just some of the critical issues discussed during the workshop.

As a result of discussions, the need for a data bank on operational experiences and requirements for specific testing procedures for modules to be used in grid-connected power plant were identified. The workshop included a visit to the 3,3 MWp plant at Serre.

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