The city of Milan will soon be home to a 2.9 million-square-foot, 18-MW
solar array atop the Milan Trade Fair. The array will become the largest rooftop array in the world, surpassing the current record-holder, a 12-MW array on the General Motors factory in Zaragoza, Spain.
In comparison, the largest rooftop array in the U.S. is the 2.37-MW array on the Atlantic City Convention Center.
The massive array is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and for a price of $97-111 million. The choice of developer and beginning construction date haven't been finalized, but certain details have been confirmed. The developer will pay for the cost of construction and will rent the system from the Milan Trade Fair, allowing them to market and sale the electricity produced. After 20 years, the Milan Trade Fair will take over control of the plant. It's not certain how much of the generated electricy will go to powering the Trade Fair.
Bidding for the project started yesterday and seven contractors have already submitted bids. The winner will be announced in September.
via Reuters
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