Nov 26 2009
TECNALIA Technological Corporation, through its Energy Unit, is the only representative from the Spanish State within APOLLON, the largest European photoelectric energy research project, falling within the remit of the 7th R+D Framework Programme.
The TECNALIA Technological Corporation is the only Spanish representative in the APOLLON (Multi-APprOach for high efficiency integrated and inteLLigent cONcentrating PV modules and systems), the largest European photoelectric energy research project, financed under the 7th EU Framework Programme.
The project focuses on the optimisation and development of concentrated Photo Voltaic (CPV) systems in general, and of two CPV technologies in particular: Focal Point technology and Spectrum Dispersion based on mirrors. The main lines of research within the project are focused on increasing the efficiency of the CPV systems, ensure their reliability, and reduce costs and environmental impact, all of which gives a target cost projection of 2€ / watt peak for CPV systems.
The participation of TECNALIA in the project will be the responsibility of their Energy Unit, the main role of which will be aimed at the development and optimisation of the control of solar monitoring systems for both technologies. Some of the principal results of the project will be the implementation of logic control of the monitoring systems of the Focal Point and Spectrum Dispersion technologies; the development of special electronics that will enable the incorporation of an integrated position sensor into the module; and a device for extracting the maximum power from the module instantaneously; or the thermal characterisation of the receptors in the Spectrum Dispersion technology.
The APOLLON project officially started in July 2008 and will last for 5 years. The consortium, made up of a total of 16 European companies, is being led by the Italian ERSE centre and on it are represented than main sectors involved in CPV systems - universities, research centres, small and medium sized companies (optical, module manufacture) and large companies, such as the ENEL electric company.