RESEARCHNEWS Solar farm research
WORK to install one of the city’s first major solar farms on the roof of a University of Sheffield building began on the summer solstice as part of a £120,000 investment into boosting photovoltaic research.
Sheffield Solar Farm will be based around the installation of 70m2 state-of- the-art photovoltaic panels on the roof of the University’s Hicks building. The panels will benefit both the University and photovoltaics researchers and developers around the UK, who will be able to use it to field-test their new and experimental photovoltaic cell designs in a bid to further our knowledge of renewable energy sources. It is thought the main installation of the new Solar Farm will be completed by the beginning of July.
To monitor the effectiveness of the photovoltaic technology being tried and tested on the roof, equipment will log data and display it on a specially designed website for the Solar Farm. This will include a live web-cam and web-feed demonstrating the actual power being generated by each panel, the total power the sun is radiating on the roof and how
the weather is affecting the amount of energy produced, as well as offer a comparison of the different photovoltaic technologies.
In the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, work is already underway to develop new generations of solar cells using plastic as opposed to silicon, something that would reduce processing costs and enable photovoltaic technology to be used on a wider scale.
As well as colleagues in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the cross cutting research project includes staff from Departments across the University including Chemistry, Geography and Mathematics and Statistics. They will work jointly with each other while at the same time engaging in knowledge transfer opportunities with developers, users and policy makers. By experimenting with different cells on top of the Hicks Building, the project team hopes to improve understanding of photovoltaics.
The news of the Solar Farm comes as the University of Sheffield launches a unique venture entitled Project Sunshine. The
Multi national PV test facility
CFV Solar Test Laboratory, a PV certification test company jointly owned by CSA Group, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, the Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE, and VDE Testing and Certification Institute today announced that they will locate their new solar module testing laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The decision to place this new solar testing facility in New Mexico puts us in the epicentre of the PV installation market in the U.S.” said Randall W. Luecke, President, CSA International. “The conditions, from a business and testing perspective, made choosing Albuquerque a strategically smart move that will allow for market growth and excellent outdoor test conditions.”
In addition to the CFV Solar Test Laboratory, Fraunhofer CSE and
Fraunhofer ISE will operate a R&D facility at Mesa del Sol, focussing on long-term reliability, decreased cost and increased performance of PV modules.
CFV Solar Test Laboratory and Fraunhofer USA will create 30 - 40 highly qualified jobs in the PV industry, a key part of the emerging green economy. They will establish a state-of-the-art facility implementing the latest advances for PV performance and safety testing.
“As we build a thriving solar industry in New Mexico, it is important that we attract all aspects of the industry. That is why I am pleased to announce the establishment of the CFV Solar Test Laboratory and the Fraunhofer R & D facility,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “Today’s announcement shows that our renewable energy policies and pro- business attitude continue to draw international interest and investment.”
project aims to unite scientists in finding ways to harness the power of the sun to meeting the food and energy needs of the world’s population.
Dr Alastair Buckley, from the University’s Department of Physics, who is leading the Sheffield Solar Farm project, said: “The Sheffield Solar Farm is an important venture as it is bridging the gap between the research lab and how solar cells are used in the real world. We want to find out how new solar technologies perform here in Sheffield and compare them to the existing state-of-the-art technologies. This will help to align our research into next generation cell designs.”
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“The top officials of the State of New Mexico, Bernalillo County, and the City of Albuquerque are very committed to developing the solar industry in their region, and have given us the necessary support to make this project possible” says Nolan Browne, Managing Director of Fraunhofer CSE.
“I also want to recognize the invaluable assistance we received from U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman and Albuquerque Economic Development, whose interest and support for the project have helped us make this decision.”
“The decision to locate this solar testing lab in Albuquerque offers further evidence that New Mexico is fast becoming the West’s clean energy manufacturing hub. I’d like to be among the first to welcome Fraunhofer to our state. I am confident that our weather and our workforce will serve you very well,” said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue IV 2010
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