HES-SO is the University of Applied Sciences for Western Switzerland. Its Industrial Systems Institute located in Sion, Valais performs multidisciplinary research and development activities in three domains: development of instruments for energy, health and environmental purposes, renewable energy and smart grid.
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) operates two scientific large scale facilities for investigating the structure and function of matter: the research reactor BER II for experiments with neutrons and the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. In the department of solar energy our scientists are working on the next generation of solar cells, including new kinds of materials and innovative cell structures. As cofounder of the Photovoltaic Competence Centre (PVcomB) HZB supports the technology transfer to the industry.
Country: Czech Republic Website Website PowerLab Description: The research infrastructure CVVOZEPowerLab was founded in 2013 as part of the Centre for Research and Utilization of Renewable Energy (CVVOZE), a research establishment of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication
Lemcko was founded in 1998 as an independent academic research institute focusing on electrical motors, drives and electrical power quality to provide substantial research for its industrial partners. Since then, there has been a continuous growth in manpower, knowledge and expertise in low frequent power quality (<2kHz), general low voltage electrical installations, energy-efficiency and renewable energy connected to the low voltage distribution grid.
Fraunhofer IEE (new name since 2018; formerly Fraunhofer IWES) was founded at the start of 2009 from the merger of the former Fraunhofer Center for Wind Energy and Maritime Engineering CWMT in Bremerhaven and the Institute for Solar Energy Supply Technology ISET e.V. in Kassel. The research activities of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IIEE cover the integration of renewable energies into energy supply structures in technical and economic regard.
Jülich is an interdisciplinary, publicly funded research center with a staff of about 5.000 members working on the areas of health, energy and environment. One of the institutes at Jülich, the IEK5-Photovoltaik, concentrates its work on thin film silicon solar cells and related materials for several decades. Jülich Supercomputing Center JSC operates several high performance supercomputers. Access to on of these supercomputers is provided via Sophia trans national access.
DERlab is an association of leading laboratories and research institutes in the field of distributed energy resources equipment and systems. The association develops joint requirements and quality criteria for the connection and operation of distributed energy resources (DER) and strongly supports the consistent development of DER technologies. DERlab offers testing and consulting services for distributed generation (DG) to support the transition towards more decentralised power systems.
The European Commission`s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has a significant activity in the field of photovoltaics, which takes place in the Renewable Energy unit of the Institute for Energy. A major feature is the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI), which is a European reference laboratory for the verification of the power and energy generation of photovoltaic devices. Within the SOPHIA project, JRC is leading the networking sub-task on energy prediction and participate in the joint research activity on module lifetime, as well as offering access to its facilities.
ECN is the main institute for energy research in The Netherlands. ECN develops high-quality knowledge and technology for the transition to a sustainable energy supply, and introduces this technology to the market. ECN’s focus is on energy conservation, renewable energy and an efficient and clean use of fossil fuels.evelops high-quality knowledge and technology ECN Solar Energy, with its staff of 85 experts, offers a wide range of R&D activities on PV materials and -processing technologies, cell- and module design. These are available for transfer and implementation on laboratory-, pilot- and production scale. Our extensive facilities for solar cell processing and characterisation are well suited to study almost all R&D issues currently relevant for the PV industry.
Ingegneria e Ricerca S.p.A (EII) manages for Enel S.p.A all the engineering processes relevant to the design and construction of power plants as well as research studies devoted to requirements of Enel Group and third parties. Enel Ingegneria e Ricerca S.p.A. participates to the Sophia project through its Advanced Solar PV Laboratory one of test site of its Research Area. The PV laboratory is located in Catania and is the Enel site devoted to the analysis, qualification and modeling of PV technologies. The laboratory has a total area of 10 hectares and thanks to its optimal weather conditions and exposure to the sun, allows all year round field evaluations of innovative cells, modules and photovoltaic systems such as combined systems using crystalline silicon cells as high efficiency active devices and multi-junction cells, or thin film photovoltaic systems
