Our current test site is located approximately 1Nm offshore Castiglioncello, in Tuscany. The wave climate is relatively mild, although you have the occasional rough event. For example, in December 2011 we had a storm with up to 6m, 10s waves, which are as tough (or even tougher) than oceanic waves.
Currently the site is not grid connected, although we are evaluating the possibility of laying a cable to it to put the test machines there in production.