CENER activity on PV technology: from PV plants to PV materials and cells

Dra. Ana Rosa Lagunas Alonso Directora del Departamento de Energía Solar Fotovoltaica CENTRO NACIONAL DE ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES C/ Ciudad de la Innovación, 7 - 31621 - Sarriguren (Navarra) España +34 948 25 28 00 www.cener.com CENER activity on PV technology: from PV plants to PV materials and cells The National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain (CENER) is a technology centre, specialised in applied research and in the development and promotion of renewable energies. It provides services and carries out research work in 6 areas: wind, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, biomass, energy in buildings and renewable energy grid integration. Equipped with cutting-edge technological infrastructures, CENER has modern laboratories and facilities. The aim of Photovoltaic Solar Energy Department is to support the industrial sector and to contribute to reducing the costs of kWh produced by PV means. The department is midway between basic research and industrial manufacturing environments. R&D+i activities are complemented with components validation and other certification services, including PV solar plants to generate electricity. The infrastructures for testing and research are deployed over more than 700 m2. Laboratories are equipped with cutting-edge tools in both aspects, the testing of components (PV modules, inverters, trackers…) and the research in materials technology and process for PV cells fabrication. The PV Department includes two knowledge environments: Photovoltaic Systems and Photovoltaic Cells. The Photovoltaic Systems service comprises knowledge areas from the individual component (module, inverter, tracker) to the final PV plant for electricity production, built and connected to the grid. Its activities include accredited services for testing and certification under international standards, commercial projects to support engineering activities for PV plant promoters and pure Research and Development tasks. Holistic view of the PV technology starting with the  big PV plants, their needs on devices performance and the applied R&D that those needs originate will be discussed.