In the sparsely populated region of Castilla La Mancha in the heart of Spain, a R&D institute is leading the way forward in the development of technologies which harness solar power efficiently. The Institute for Concentration Photovoltaic Systems (ISFOC) is helping to bring this technology to market and encouraging businesses and universities to get on board.
- 17 December 2009
Moving from R&D to product needs industry standards and reliable products, all these are being created with the participation of all players and it certainly looks like a CPV sector could be in place much faster than it took to other solar technologies.
ISFOC has, in a short time, become the reference point in Spain for the commercial use of solar technologies and is contributing to the region’s goal to reach 100% renewable energy consumption by 2012.
CPV technology in action
ISFOC followed on from a project on Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) which was commissioned by the regional ministry of education and science and Madrid’s Universidad Politecnica. CPV technology has the advantage that it is environmentally friendly, self-sufficient (reducing reliance on foreign suppliers), and it creates employment as one of the largest renewable energy sectors.
CPV works using optical components such as lenses and reflectors to concentrate light on cells. This multiplies considerably the amount of light reaching the cell. The cell or receiver then receives the concentrated light and converts it into electricity.
Since the first CPV technologies were used in the 1970s, the EUCLIDES was installed in Madrid in 1995 and Tenerife hosted the world’s largest CPV plant of 480 kW, they have become an increasingly lucrative business. ISFOC is working to develop mature CPV technologies for the marketplace, ensuring quality, reliability and cost competitiveness.
Small steps to begin with
ISFOC has maintained close contact with universities in order to identify areas of research from which concrete development projects could prosper. The idea was for universities to take part in the basic re¬search activities with ISFOC, as well as companies wishing to test the technology.
The various improvements to CPV and its performance reliability mean that the technology now finds itself in a highly competitive position. As it moves towards full-scale deployment, ISFOC has been test benching the technologies demonstrating competitive advantage at a smaller scale.
ISFOC has been financed through regional, national and European grants, as well as through contracts with private businesses. It is also generating funds by connecting CPV plants to the grid for electricity and selling it to public utilities.