Cipa Gres accelerates its energy transition

Thanks to incentives provided by the Transition Plan 5.0, the company has installed a second 600 kWp photovoltaic system and upgraded its end-of-line technologies.

Cipa Gres, a long-established ceramic tile manufacturer based in Casalgrande (Reggio Emilia), has taken another step towards environmental sustainability and energy efficiency with the installation of a second photovoltaic system in partnership with SENEC Italia. The project is part of a wider energy efficiency strategy undertaken by the company and backed by incentives provided under the Italian Transition Plan 5.0.

The new 600 kWp photovoltaic plant, which complements the existing 1 MW facility, consists of 1,396 modules and 6 inverters and will generate more than 687,000 kWh annually. This will cut CO₂ emissions by 446.7 tonnes and reduce grid consumption by 17.7%. As with the first installation, the self-produced renewable energy will be used to meet part of the factory’s needs, which total around 8 million kWh per year.

Emiliano Coriani, a member of the Board of Directors of Cipa Gres, explained the origins of the project:

“We had already seen the benefits of photovoltaics with the first plant and had planned to replicate the solution on the new building regardless of incentives. When the opportunities offered by the Transition Plan 5.0 arose, we took the chance to upgrade the entire ceramic tile control, sorting and packaging line and make it more energy efficient. Although photovoltaics is classified as a ‘secondary intervention’ under the Plan, in this case it served as the catalyst for a broader efficiency programme, enabling us to improve the sustainability of our production processes while achieving significant energy cost savings.”

Among the other initiatives undertaken by Cipa Gres to optimise its energy mix is the adoption of a cogeneration plant for the combined production of electricity and heat.