Optimising PV Research Infrastructures in Europe: Lessons learned from the SOPHIA Project
Philippe Malbranche, Project Coordinator, INES General Director, [email protected]
+ F. Bergeron, J. Merten, B. Assoa, E. Gerritsen, M. Albaric, R. Varache, G. Razongles, S. Cros (CEA-INES, France), G. Siefer, M. Koehl, M. Schubert, W. Warta, S. Misara, W. Sprenger (Fraunhofer ISE & IWES, Germany), I. Bennett, J. Kroon (ECN, The Netherlands), I. Gordon (IMEC, Belgium), S. Gevorgyan (DTU, Denmark), N Taylor, A. Pozza (JRC, Italy), I. Lauermann, V. Hinrichs, M. Schmid (HZB, Germany), J. Huepkes, Y. Augarten (FZ Jülich, Germany), I. Anton (UPM, Spain), F. Aleo, P.M. Pugliatti (ENEL, Italy), F. Paletta (RSE, Italy), R. Gottschalg, T. Betts (CREST, United Kingdom), F. Roca (ENEA, Italy), S. Rousu, J. Hast (VTT, Finland), T. Pettersen, M. Juel (SINTEF), S Zamini, K. Berger (AIT, Austria), P. Basso (EPIA, Belgium), G. Arrowsmith, V. Valente (EUREC, Belgium), E. Roman, P. Cano, O. Zubillaga (TECNALIA, Spain), D. Craciun (DERLAB, Germany).
Content
1. Description ● Context and motivation
● Scope
● Consortium
● Objectives and activities
2. Main outcomes ● Transnational access activities
● Joint research activities
● Networking activities
3. Main lessons learned and conclusions
2
Context and Motivation
3
Many PV research infrastructures exist all over Europe: • Some are unique: BESSY3 (HZB, Berlin), super computer (FZ Jülich) • Some are quite similar: PV module test facilities
This project was the first to promote on a large-scale an increased coordination in order to: 1. avoid unintended duplication 2. avoid unnecessary investment. 3. get more value out of the same budgets. « Working together to
progress faster or to learn more » : • Benchmarking of characterisation methods, • Validation with a larger number of data to increase the confidence level
Joining forces to offer better services for researchers
from academia and industry
Scope of activities
● The project focuses on 8 topics covering the whole value chain: • Silicon material • Thin films and TCOs • Organic PV • Modelling • CPV • BIPV • PV Module lifetime • PV module and system performance
● A link to the EERA PV Joint Programme is organised through: • Many common partners
• Four topics are also addressed within EERA
4
Funding scheme : Integrating Activities
Duration : 48 months
EU financial contribution : 9 M€
Starting date : February 2011
The consortium: 20 Partners
● 17 research organisations, 3 associations for information exchange
6
WPL
WPL WPL
WPL COORD
WPL
Two main project objectives
1. Access of European researchers to a portfolio of laboratories and test facilities,
2. Coordination of partners from academia and research institutes in order to address some specific challenges.
8
Coordinated set of facilities (mainly
characterisation and modelling)
Outstanding facilities (lab, characterisation
tools)
Training
Three types of activities
1. Transnational Access Activities: Free-of-charge transnational access for researchers, through a single entry point
2. Joint Research Activities: Upgrade and improvement of the services of PV RIs
3. Networking Activites for coordination and joint development of the RIs
9
1. Listing existing Ris Equipment, procedures
2. Increasing coordination Benchmarking, RoundRobin, improved procedures
3. Developing joint strategy
As a driver towards an increased coordination :
Outline
1. Description ● Context and motivation
● Scope
● Consortium
● Objectives
2. Main outcomes ● Transnational access activities
● Joint research activities
● Networking activities
3. Conclusions
10
Trans-national Access Activities results (TNA)
● Objective: provide free of charge and open access to 48 research infrastructures offering various services: • Prototyping
• Better characterisation of materials and innovative technologies,
• Performance characterisation and lifetime prediction of PV modules
• Modelling
11
Transnational access activities outcomes
● 8 calls for research proposals organised ● Since January 2012 ● Last call still open
● 56 proposals submitted in total
13
+
TNA: Evaluation / selection / hosting
● 40 TNA access granted:
● 3 cancelled by applicant
● 14 planned or in planning stage
● 13 currently running
● 10 finalised
14
Host infrastructure
# projects to be hosted
(planning stage)
# projects hosted
(ongoing or done) #
HZB 1 4 5
Fraunhofer-‐ISE 3 2 5 IES-‐UPM 4 4 CREST 3 1 4 Jülich 3 3 DTU 3 3 CEA-‐INES 3 3 Tecnalia 2 2 ENEA 2 2 SINTEF 2 2 IMEC 1 1 AIT 1 1 ECN 1 1 RSE 1 1 Enel 0 EC JRC 0 VTT 0
total: 14 23 37
TNA: example 1
● “cSiPID” proposal = “Indoor and outdoor monitoring of potential-induced degradation and recovery of conventional crystalline silicon photovoltaics” ● Topic: PV Module lifetime ● Call 6 ● Proposed by: Cyprus University ● Host: AIT
● Objectives ● investigate the correlation between indoor and
outdoor PID ● assess the capability of the environmental
chamber test to predict which of the different module designs show durability in the field
● verify the crucial role of the ARC-SixNy in the PID process
15
TNA: example 2
● “DUSOP” = “Thermal and Spectral Dependence of Dual Silicone Optics”
● Topic: CPV
● Call # 5
● Proposed by: Fullsun Photovoltaics Ltd (UK)
● Hosting RI: IES-UPM
● experimentation
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Joint Research Activities
● Objectives: to improve and optimise the services provided by the research infrastructures.
● Work focused on four topics: 1. Greater accuracy of rated power and energy output prediction of
PV modules & systems 2. Quicker lifetime prediction of PV modules though accelerated
ageing tests and improved failure analysis procedures 3. Improved Material characterisation procedures dedicated to:
1. silicon material, 2. thin films and TCOs, 3. and organic solar cells
4. Improvement and validation of software infrastructure for material, cell, module and system modelling
17
Previous Round Robin results
● In 2006 10 labs Worldwide ● In 2008-2009 7 European labs ● 2009-2011 – 9 Asian labs
18
+3%
-3%
At LIC TC
18.3%
Measurement deviation in Pmax
At STC
• 2013-2014 – 11 European labs
Results presented at 29th EUPVSEC, 5DO9.3 paper
Conclusions/Recommendations - Nominal Module Power (29th EUPVSEC, 5DO.9.3)
A wide spectrum of lessons learned • Hardware
– Include spectrum measurements for the outdoor MMF correction procedure. – Improve the Homogeneity of irradiance of the solar simulator. – Some partners need to acquire additional hardware for LIC measurements. – Incorporate an active temperature control for the DUT outdoors. – Set up or improve a spectral response measurement system for modules. – Change the measurement load and reduce the random error at LIC current
measurements • Software:
– Use only the raw data from the measurements and feed it in to a software with different fitting options for parameter extraction and corrections.
• Methodology and procedures – Implement procedures for LIC outdoors. – Improve the temperature control outdoors. – Increase the number of measurement that are average to minimise the random error. – Perform multi-flash measurement mode for all the technologies – Develop procedures for LIC measurements that minimise hysteresis.
• Uncertainty analysis: – Most partners have uncertainties that are either underestimated or overestimated
Improvements required – mitigating the capacitive effects
20 20
Quicker lifetime prediction though accelerated ageing tests and improved failure analysis
• Portfolio of testing infrastructure at the partner institutes – Additional advanced characterisation techniques for following module degradation – Additional tests including PID, combined UV and DH and dynamic-mechanical loading
• Collaboration between institutes has made an extensive test plan possible with 15 accelerated tests beyond IEC61215
– Tested on commercial modules with three different technologies – Comparison of test and characterisation procedures at the different institutes
21
Results (29th EUPVSEC, 5DO.11.4)
• Modelling of results and proposal for quality assurance test sequence – QA test sequence designed to allow determination of activation energies, – relationship to climate and expected lifetime in the field
22
Remaining WCPEC 6 presentations
related to the SOPHIA project :
Wednesday Nov 26th : 7WePo10.5
Thursday Nov 27th :7ThO.3.3
Outline
1. Description ● Context and motivation
● Scope
● Consortium
● Objectives
2. Main outcomes ● Transnational access activities
● Joint research activities
● Networking activities
3. Conclusions
23
Networking activities: Objectives and results (1/3)
Objectives : • Defining common objectives per each topic • Benchmarking and developing common procedures for testing and characterising
PV materials, modules and systems, • Performing training and exchange activities for all European scientists (summer
universities, exchanges
Results : ● 18 networking seminars and workshops
● 10 common databases ● Sets of measurement data and test results: ● Listing of test- and analysis capabilities:TNA infrastructures, TCO test facilities,
PV systems and smartgrid test facilities, PV module test equipment, accelerated ageing test procedures, silicon imaging techniques
● Overviews of modelling tools
● Test procedures and standards ● Proposals of common testing procedures, and recommended best practices, ● Contributions to IEC TC82 WG2 & WG7
24
Networking activities: results (2/3)
● Staff exchange ● Training courses and summer schools
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● E-learning platform: “SOPHi@Webinar”
q 21 webinars organised since March 2013 § Around 2-3 events/month organized
q 570 participants in total (+ 60 in streaming) § Majority of non-SOPHIA members
q Information on all courses available on the Sophia “events” web page § http://www.sophia-ri.eu/news-events/news/
q Several pdf presentations of workshops and webinars (pdf, video) are available on-line on Sophia Events pages.
Networking activities results (3/3): Writing of a Strategic Research Infrastructure Agenda
Six types of research infrastructures, all along the PV value chain
Material and equipment suppliers
Cell / Module manufacturers
System providers, installers
Integrated energy services, citizen
New materials, New process
High throughput processes
Integration (grid, buildings, cities), reliability
Power and yield prediction, management strategies, diagnosis
Investors
PV
val
ue
chai
n R
esea
rch
activ
ities
Networking activities results (3/3): Writing of a Strategic Research Infrastructure Agenda
Six types of research infrastructures, all along the PV value chain
1. Outstanding facilities (lab, characterisation
tools)
3. A network of various pilot lines for yield
demonstration
4. A global quality and reliability PV infrastructure
5. E-infrastructure for large-scale
management of PV systems
2. Coordinated set of facilities (mainly modelling and
characterisation)
6. Training all along the PV value chain
Material and equipment suppliers
Cell / Module manufacturers
System providers, installers
Integrated energy services, citizen
New materials, New process
High throughput processes
Integration (grid, buildings, cities), reliability
Power and yield prediction, management strategies, diagnosis
Investors
PV
val
ue
chai
n R
esea
rch
activ
ities
R
esea
rch
infra
stru
ctur
es
Content
1. Description ● Context and motivation
● Scope
● Consortium
● Objectives and activities
2. Main outcomes ● Transnational access activities
● Joint research activities
● Networking activities
3. Main lessons learned and conclusions
28
RI Coordination
Researcher training & mobility
Programation activities
Sustainability Support to innovation
Characteris-ation
procedures
Data management
Actions for sharing and mutualizing research infrastructures
RI Coordination
Researcher training & mobility
Programation activities
Sustainability Support to innovation
Characteris-ation
procedures
Data management
Actions for sharing and mutualizing research infrastructures
RI Coordination
Researcher training & mobility
Programation activities
Sustainability Support to innovation
Characteris-ation
procedures
Data management
Increased efficiency
providing better value
for a given budget
Actions for sharing and mutualizing research infrastructures
Review of existing situation
Action plan &
Strategic roadmap
Dissemination & Exploitation
Capacity building - Short term - Middle term - Long term
Suggestion of a generic action plan
Review of existing situation
Action plan
&
Strategic roadmap
Dissemination & Exploitation
Capacity building Harmonisation of characterization
practices
Benchmarking
Labelling / Regulation
Suggestion of an action plan in the field of photovoltaics
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1. Reviewing our Research Infrastructures
2. Increasing our coordinaPon
3. Developing joint strategies
4. CollaboraPng on selected topics
- Iden*fying current facili*es and equipment
- Surveying characterisa*on procedures
- Lis*ng of ongoing projects
- Benchmarking and organisa*on of Round Robin tests
- Understanding the various criteria for improved characterisa*on
- Valida*ng test procedures and characterisa*on methods
-‐ Elabora*ng a roadmap -‐ develop joint ac*on plans -‐ Do some lobbying: at EC at country levels on priority topics and ac*ons
-‐ Dedicated scien*fic and technological projects , when sufficient resources become available
Detailed actions in the field of photovoltaics
Review of the various solar RIs
Increased coordination
Development of Joint Action Plans
Collaboration on selected topics
36
Overall conclusions
• This project provided the opportunity for a better coordination, following a three step approach : 1. Listing RIs, by identifying current facilities, equipment
and characterisation procedures 2. Organising Round Robin tests and validating
characterisation methods 3. Developing joint strategies & roadmaps
10 databases
5 Round Robins + 1 large test plan
18 Workshops + webinars
• This first-of-its-kind project has gradually been gaining momentum (webinars, TNAs, ..), and it sets the basis for more in-depth collaboration
• Many results to be disseminated: Ø 10 presentations at 29th EUPVSEC Ø 5 presentations at WCPEC 6
• The “Research Infrastructure” concept has to be enlarged to cover the needs of all European researchers.
• It may also be enlarged to additional neighbouring countries
Thank you for your attention … …. And coming next week: January 22nd, 2015
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as part of the SOPHIA final event:
A Symposium on European PV Research
Infrastructures ● January 22nd, 2015
● at CEA-INES in Chambéry (France)
● What are the main achievements of the SOPHIA project ?
● How to keep European R&D at world-class level?
● What is the best way to support innovation in the PV industry?
● Should PV research infrastructure for quality & reliability be linked worldwide?
● Can Big Data bring big advantages in the area of solar PV system operation ?
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