The European Union policy for climate and energy imposes significant targets for a high integration of renewable energy sources in the period from 2020 to 2030. System operators have to deal with operational flexibility to respond to variability and to uncertainty of the renewable generation, ensuring the network reliability and security. While significant efforts have been made into the developing accurate forecasts, much work remains to integrate the forecasting in the electric system operations. The successful incorporation of forecasts into grid operation emerges as an important challenge. Accurate photovoltaic (PV) generation forecasts are major themes of the research roadmap of many international task forces, as Smart Grids SRA 2035 to support the flexibility increasing of the power systems. In this context, the project aims to support large scale integration of PV systems in countries with a high solar resource and a significant potential of small capacity PV systems such as Greece. The Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) is the most important Hellenic research institute, committed to support Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator S.A. (HENDO) that is dealing with a radical modernization of the existing network. The THINKPV project encourages the ICCS and its industrial partners to facilitate PV grid integration by the development of a probabilistic forecasting system based on machine learning, taking advantage of data that can be measured in the distribution network, in order to improve forecast accuracy compared to the state of art. The model will be assembled into a solar power forecasting system that will be operational at the Electric Energy Systems Laboratory (EESL) of the ICCS to operate directly with tools for simulating power system operations. A prototype of operational solar forecasting systems will be demonstrated for HENDO, providing also a training program for its efficiency and correct application.
Related IP activities: Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: H2020
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 152653.2
The Rolling Solar project aims to catalyze a lasting cross border collaboration between industry, research and stakeholders on photovoltaics, materials, manufacturing, installation, grid, and road infrastructure. This collaboration includes technology development, dissemination and validation of knowledge. Goal is to technically enable local manufacturers and building and construction companies to realize cost effective integration of long lengths of solar cell materials into public infrastructure. As a result, large scale durable electricity generation without additional land use will be enabled close to point of use. For example, PV integrated in all 35,000 km of Dutch bicycle road would generate 15 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to a CO2 reduction in the order of 5 million tonnes per year.
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry ,Major advances in manufacturing and installation
Funding Scheme: Interreg
% of PV in the project: 80
Total budget: € 5721741.8
Learn moreThin-film photovoltaic CIGS technology has seen considerable growth of manufacturing capacity in recent years. The environmental impact, especially the CO2 footprint of CIGS thin-film panels shows great advantages compared to other solar technologies. CIGS panels show good performance in diffuse light conditions and at high temperatures, and are tolerant to partial shading. Additionally, the aesthetic qualities and the possibility of custom colors makes CIGS a superior PV technology for the application in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), e.g. in solar façades.The fabrication process of the CIGS semiconductor layer is the key driver for both, the further increase of efficiency, and the reduction of manufacturing cost of CIGS solar modules. Based on the European energy research program SOLAR-ERA.NET, the solar companies Smit Thermal Solutions and AVANCIS started a European collaboration with the leading research institutes Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), CNRS (Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, Nantes) and TNO/Solliance with the new project ‘Sequential, High Uniformity, Cost Competitive Elemental Selenization and Sulfurization for CIGSSe2’, called SUCCESS. The aim of SUCCESS is the combination of a further cost-optimized CIGS processing and the high efficiencies reached with heavy alkali post-deposition treatment (PDT). An efficiency of more than 20% is finally targeted for 30x30cm2 AVANCIS’ modules.The non-vacuum Smit Thermal Solutions in-line selenization equipment provides a high degree of freedom in the CIGS semiconductor fabrication enabling further cost reduction at high efficiency levels. Using Smit Thermal Solutions prototype equipment, notable efficiencies have already been reached by TNO/Solliance and HZB at cell level. As first steps in scaling-up, the homogeneity of the selenization process in the Smit Thermal Solutions equipment will be improved and it will be adapted for the 30x30cm2 AVANCIS R&D platform.During the last three years, the conversion efficiency of CIGS record cells has been increased from 20.5% to 23.35% by using controlled PDT of the absorber layer with heavy alkali metals. Typically, these records are achieved with small cells measuring 1x1cm². The consortium aims to systematically investigate the impact of the heavy alkali doping in the absorber formation process as well as by PDT of the absorber and to ultimately apply this technology to large-area module production processes with a Cd-free buffer process.
Related IP activities: Manufacturing technologies
Addressed IP targets: Major advances in efficiency of established technologies (Crystalline Silicon and Thin Films) and new concepts
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 2099251
Learn moreThe CEFRABID Project Proposal concentrates on advanced photovoltaic (PV) products applications in road and rail (r&r) transport infrastructure. It is focused on PV grid integrated with noise barriers and passenger stop shelters along local r&r infrastructure for needs of powering this infrastructure, e.g. for signaling, lighting of neuralgic sections of roads and rail platforms, including r&r crossings, and last but not least, warming or cooling the passenger stop shelters of special innovatory design. The focus is on innovative manufacturing of and solutions for r&r infrastructure constructions integrated PV systems. The following issues are addressed and goals pursued:
− Dimensional and outlook flexibility with customised sizes, shapes and colours, freeform module technology, and bifacial (especially for N-S oriented r&r) solar cells and modules, electrical design for energy output optimization (shadows, various tilt and orientation angles, safety issues, all of which will be part of extended preliminary tests at specialized Partner's facilities of their different configurations, including both laboratory tests, as well as outdoor tests on partially movable platforms (PMPs).
− Holistic approach for the energy performance, enabling accumulation of energy for night or worsening weather conditions periods, assuming also backup power supplies from conventional electric grid in emergency states.
− Easiness of installation / application based on modular designs of largely independent and self-sufficient Hybrid PV Noise Road (Rail) Barriers' (HPVNRBs) modular sections, which may be easily prolonged and included in the grid (in series when independent, and in parallel layout, for mutual replacement needs) by their suitable reciprocal multiplication.
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Other
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 452484
MasterPV addresses the development of innovative transparent back contacts in Cu (In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells for cost efficient semi-transparent modules
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 611770
Learn moreLarge PV power plants need to ensure a smooth injection of the generated renewable power into the grid where they are connected, while providing the required ancillary services. Depending on the grid nature, such requirements can differ considerably, ranging from frequency or voltage support for PV power plants connected to power systems based on conventional synchronous generators, to grid-forming capability in systems or microgrids where PV is the main generation source.
The project proposal aims at developing relevant control architectures and control algorithms to ensure optimal performance in different kinds of systems.
Related IP activities: Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Other
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 1287877
Learn moreThe CEFRABID Project Proposal concentrates on advanced photovoltaic (PV) products
applications in road and rail (r&r) transport infrastructure. It is focused on PV grid integrated with
noise barriers and passenger stop shelters along local r&r infrastructure for needs of powering this
infrastructure, e.g. for signaling, lighting of neuralgic sections of roads and rail platforms, including
r&r crossings, and last but not least, warming or cooling the passenger stop shelters of special
innovatory design.
The focus is on innovative manufacturing of and solutions for r&r infrastructure constructions
integrated PV systems
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications,Technologies for silicon solar cells and modules with higher quality
Addressed IP targets: Reduction of the cost of key technologies ,Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry ,Other
Funding Scheme: ERA-Net
% of PV in the project: 90
Total budget: € 452484
Learn moreENCOLOR DESIGN HAS AS ITS OBJECTIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION, BASED ON NEW GENERATION PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGIES AND CHARACTERIZED BY EASY ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRABILITY, WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: - TRANSPARENCY - LIGHTNESS - FLEXIBILITY PHOTOACTIVE - PRODUCTION IN DIFFERENT COLORS - EFFICIENCY LITTLE DEPENDENT ON THE RADIATION CONDITIONS - LOW COST, EASY CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE AND LOWER DISPOSAL COSTS ...
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry
Funding Scheme: ERDF
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 422076.9
Learn moreThe goal of this project is to strongly improve p-type polySi passivating contacts to make its performance on par with its n-type counterpart and creating a key building block to enable >24% efficiency for industrial single junction Si solar cells. Moreover p-type polySi will be introduced to the photovoltaic industry as a high-end hole-selective contact for application into PERC cells on the short term and more advanced, n-type solar cell architectures, including IBC, on the longer term.
Related IP activities: New Technologies & Materials,Manufacturing technologies
Addressed IP targets: Major advances in efficiency of established technologies (Crystalline Silicon and Thin Films) and new concepts ,Reduction of the cost of key technologies ,Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: TKI Urban Energy
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 1205717
Learn moreThe TWILL-BIPV project aims to improve the aesthetics and performance of PV modules by developing an innovative cell interconnection technology for bifacial solar cells, leading to lower costs, scalable manufacture and higher efficiency.
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Major advances in efficiency of established technologies (Crystalline Silicon and Thin Films) and new concepts ,Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry
Funding Scheme: Other (imec.icon)
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 1272049
Learn moreSolar power generates nearly 4% (and still growing) of Europe’s electricity demand. In 2021, the 200 GW of capacity installed in Europe will result in saving of 219 million CO2 tons/year. By 2030, 8 mill tons of PV panels are expected.
Resource efficiency is a critical success factor for the solar power sustainable growth. Performance-based, third-party ownership Product-Service System (PSS) has been widely seen as a key circular economic model to stimulate resource efficiency and reduce waste generation. CIRCUSOL aims to establish solar power as a spearhead sector to demonstrate a path driven by PSS business models towards a circular economy in Europe.
Through a co-creative approach with end-users and the entire value chain, CIRCUSOL will develop two main blocks of a circular PSS model: circular product management with re-use/refurbish/remanufacture (“second-life”) paths in addition to recycling, and value-added new product-services for residential, commercial and utility end-users. Five large-scale, real-life demonstrators will be set up in these 3 market segments, in 3 European countries (FR, BE and CH) to validate market acceptance, business viability and resource efficiency benefits.
CIRCUSOL will deliver tangible innovation for the solar power industry with market-validated PSS business models, 2nd-life PV/battery labelling/certification protocols and cost/application analysis, and an info-sharing ICT platform. The results will be exploited in FR, BE and CH and prepared for replication in Europe (Letters of Support of stakeholders attached). CIRCUSOL will also deliver verified circular business innovation methodologies for broader use by other industries, sustainability professionals and academia; plus evidence-based knowledge in circular economy implementation for policy makers. All together, CIRCUSOL will contribute to a more resource efficient Europe, while reducing GHG emissions and creating new business opportunities and jobs.
Related IP activities: New Technologies & Materials
Addressed IP targets: Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: H2020
% of PV in the project: 60
Total budget: € 8253715
Learn moreALD4PSC aims to pave the way for atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deliver high quality metal oxides serving as charge transport layers, while also improving the environmental stability of the Perovskite Solar Cell device. Fundamental understanding of the metal oxide/perovskite interface will be key to efficient and selective charge transport. The achieved results will be of great relevance to PSC industrial residents at Solliance and to Dutch ALD equipment manufacturers.
Related IP activities: New Technologies & Materials
Addressed IP targets: Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: TKI Urban Energy
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 126667
Learn moreThe PHARES project is based on a hybrid energy model on the island of Ouessant. It includes hydro, wind, PV and storage capacity to respond to the electricity demand of the island.
Related IP activities: Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: ADEME
% of PV in the project: 25
Total budget: € 25000000
Learn moreSUPER PV’s goal is to reduce costs of the photovoltaics (PV) system by combining technological innovations and data management methods along the PV value chain.
The project implements key actions at three levels within the PV value chain: PV module, power electronics and system integration. In the lifetime of the project, prototypes will be produced in industrial environments and tested in different (including unfavourable) climate conditions to evaluate cost efficiency and demonstrate competitiveness of the proposed solutions.
If successful, the project will significantly contribute to decreasing a levelised cost of electricity between 26%-37% while the PV products developed will accelerate the large-scale deployment of PV and will help EU PV businesses to regain leadership in world market.
Related IP activities: Technologies for silicon solar cells and modules with higher quality,Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Reduction of the cost of key technologies
Funding Scheme: H2020
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 11616850
Learn moreSix products that will make a difference
Throughout the project, researchers participating in GRECO will design six products.
The first one is an in-situ repairing methodology that can save the cost of replacing defective modules in a PV installation while supporting the idea of Circular Economy. Through a collaborative process where we will identify and collect defective modules from the civil society and researchers from different Organizations will develop a methodology that will be tested and analyzed by installers from three countries. A video-tutorial will be published to give free access to anyone interested in the procedure.
The second one is an ageing model for PV modules to improve the estimation of energy production of PV plants and reduce the uncertainty on the estimations that are made by financial agencies when considering investments on this type of projects. To that extent, the project will call to the collaboration of European installations’ owners to access and measure their plants. Researchers will analyze these data and compare them with that obtained in the last decade, to produce the most precise model possible.
A third product targets to develop a more sustainable solution for irrigation, pursuing a reduction of costs and a major use of renewable energy in agriculture. The major innovation of GRECO is that the solution is not already agreed. During the project, both Governments and Irrigators from the Euro-Mediterranean area in an user-centered Open Innovation process will define the current needs of the irrigators and Governments and together the researchers of GRECO will co-design a product that meets their demands.
The three remaining products are devoted to improve the penetration of photovoltaic energy into the electric system, taking advantage of its decentralized character. GRECO will develop cheaper and more efficient solar cells, a novel system of modules able to provide energy to buildings up to 8 stores, and improved PV heat-pump systems as enablers of a major use of renewable sources in the daily-life. To carry out these investigations the Consortium will carry out consultations through mobilization and Mutual Learning processes with different relevant players in six different countries: Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany, United Kingdom and Brazil to define barriers and facilitators to the use of those products and consequently, define proper roadmaps for a better alignment of the technology with the society. Moreover, the project is expected to co-design with third parties a Citizen Science Initiative that allow people from around the world to contribute with their data to foster the studies and investigations of the photovoltaic community.
But perhaps the product with the greatest impact expected from the project will be the guide for researchers that the project will publish in the summer of 2020, where we explain to the scientific community how to implement the concepts of RRI and Open Science in research projects.
All products of GRECO will follow Open Science practices and several actions have been designed to contribute to the openness of our results. Researchers will adopt not only Open Access and Open Data policies, but also will explore the implementation of Open Notebooks in research institutions or the use of video-tutorials as a double resource: educational and metadata.
Related IP activities: New Technologies & Materials,Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants,Cross-sectoral research at lower TRL
Addressed IP targets: Reduction of the cost of key technologies ,Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance ,Major advances in manufacturing and installation
Funding Scheme: H2020
% of PV in the project: 75%
Total budget: € 3116590
Learn moreThe aim of the project is to further develop a highly efficient bi-facial solar panel so that it is ready for introduction on the market, and to demonstrate that a PV system based on these bi-facial solar panels produces more energy at a 10% lower kWh. price compared to a standard system.
Related IP activities: Technologies for silicon solar cells and modules with higher quality,Manufacturing technologies
Addressed IP targets: Major advances in manufacturing and installation
Funding Scheme: TKI Urban Energy
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 2432049
Learn moreThe Erigeneia project targets to enable the high penetration of PV technology and to utilize its potential value in the energy system by developing a local and central energy management system (EMS) that will combine photovoltaics (PV) with battery energy storage systems (BESS). The project will match the technical requirements imposed by the distribution system operators (DSO) with the upcoming new market regulations, capitalizing on the positive effects of PV and BESS combination. In addition, a tool for intra-hour energy forecasting will be developed and integrated into the EMS to provide a more accurate and reliable operation plan for the DSO
Related IP activities: Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Other
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 1081467
VALIDATION OF AN INNOVATIVE GLASS-BASED PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY FOR BUILDING INTEGRATION - SMARTGLAX
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications
Addressed IP targets: Enabling mass realization of NZEB by BIPV through the establishment of structural collaborative innovation efforts between the PV sector and key sectors from the building industry
Funding Scheme: ERDF
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 639568.8
Learn moreAPOLO consortium will surpass the barriers for market deployment by providing flexible and stable perovskite solar cells using scalable and low cost processes, reducing amount of toxic materials tackle the challenges to provide market niches solutions. APOLO developments will ensure to enhance the TRL of perovskite PV technology. APOLO consortium will work on advanced materials, from cell to encapsulant to develop flexible PSC, fully printable, with efficiency of 22% with at least 80% of initial performance after relevant accelerated test from standards.
APOLO solutions will allow the development of a totally new product by integrating the modules into the architecture design of buildings. New applications of this technology open doors to other markets apart from BIPV, such as automotive, textile, etc.
PSC toxicity is considered to be negligible since the amount of lead in perovskite layer is not so relevant if it is compared against Si technology, nevertheless, the solvent toxicity should be taken in account in order to benefit industrialization of perovskite PV products.
Related IP activities: PV for BIPV and similar applications,New Technologies & Materials
Addressed IP targets: Major advances in efficiency of established technologies (Crystalline Silicon and Thin Films) and new concepts ,Reduction of the cost of key technologies ,Further enhancement of lifetime, quality and sustainability and hence improving environmental performance
Funding Scheme: H2020
% of PV in the project: 100%
Total budget: € 4997192.5
Learn moreThe PROGNOSIS project is related to the development of a tool for intra-hour forecasting of solar irradiance over a specific area. The innovative concept of PROGNOSIS is based on the fact that the tool is based on models that do not utilize any meteorological data or specialized equipment but only the power output of a dense grid of connected Photovoltaics (PVs).
Related IP activities: Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plants
Addressed IP targets: Other
Funding Scheme: ERA.NET
% of PV in the project: 100
Total budget: € 316500
Learn more