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Right here, the circumstances are optimum for analysis on photo voltaic panel efficiency in Nordic latitudes.
14 flooring above the busy pupil walkway ‘Stripa’ on the NTNU campus in Trondheim, Norway, analysis scientists and technicians are working continuous to finish the set up of an outside photo voltaic panel laboratory.
Their aim is to construct a brand new facility on the roof of one of many campus high-rise blocks that can allow researchers, college students and, at the very least, industrial stakeholders to achieve new insights into the exploitation of what’s at the moment thought of essentially the most cost-efficient supply of renewable vitality – solar energy.
Less expensive than wooden paneling
“Photo voltaic panels at the moment are usually not that costly,” says Undertaking Supervisor and photo voltaic panel researcher Eivind Øvrelid at SINTEF. “In accordance with numbers from PVinsights, they’re really cheaper per sq. meter than wooden panel. This has obtained to be probably the greatest renewable vitality enjoyable info on the planet.”
The laboratory has been given formal standing as a part of the Norwegian nationwide infrastructure for photo voltaic panel analysis, and SINTEF will lead the work wanted to assemble knowledge and discover new methods to make photo voltaic panels extra environment friendly. environment friendly. The brand new services have been named Alpha Centauri (the Norwegian spelling of the triple star system Alpha Centauri within the constellation Centaurus).
“The triple star system Alpha Centauri is the solar’s closest neighbor within the Milky Means,” says Martin Bellmann. He’s the SINTEF researcher accountable for the set up.
“The title was chosen as a result of the photo voltaic panel facility on the roof of the higher block is the closest photo voltaic location to Trondheim,” he mentioned.
As soon as accomplished, the laboratory might be obtainable to all analysis communities learning photo voltaic panel efficiency in Norway.
“Our aim is to develop as a analysis hub, or ‘umbrella lab’, the place organizations and analysis teams can collaborate – so long as the main target is on photo voltaic vitality,” mentioned Bellman.
‘Dancing’ photo voltaic panels
The gear that now dominates the Trondheim skyline is on the forefront of world know-how. Amongst their different options, the panels are bifacial and take in photo voltaic radiation on their back and front sides – ‘dancing’ in time because the solar progresses throughout the sky. In different phrases, they at all times undertake an orientation to the solar that optimizes vitality absorption.
“We may even conduct experiments utilizing various kinds of roof supplies and reflector parts with the purpose of optimizing radiation absorption and decreasing the decay and decay of the panels,” mentioned Bellmann. “We are going to take a look at all the worth chain – from uncooked supplies to the completed product, in addition to examine how we are able to recycle photo voltaic panels once they must be changed.”
The researchers may even run simulations to see how effectively the panels carry out below all conceivable circumstances and, amongst different issues, use the laboratory to check new module designs. of photo voltaic panels earlier than they hit the market.
Not solely gentle, but in addition warmth
“An additional focus of our analysis is to see how we are able to get the warmth vitality absorbed by the photo voltaic panels,” says researcher Eivind Øvrelid.
“An necessary aim sooner or later is the exploitation of photo voltaic vitality and the warmth generated by the operation of photo voltaic panels,” mentioned Bellman. “In truth, we’re at the moment solely using 20 % of the vitality that may be absorbed by photo voltaic panels. Some have been reformed within the warmth and we want to get them as nicely. The extra vitality we get from photo voltaic panel installations, the cheaper it is going to be. This may be excellent news for customers and the local weather. “
