SOLUTIONS FOR SOLAR CHALLENGES

Dutch showcases
Solar PV research
“The Netherlands
is highly ranked
internationally
thanks to the
presence of
renowned
institutes.”
Already in the middle ages, the physicist
Christiaan Huygens put The Netherlands
on the world map with his research
activities. In subsequent centuries,
The Netherlands in many ways
contributed to fundamental research,
which has resulted in several inventions
that have become widely accepted and
acknowledged in everyday applications,
such as the compact disc.
In Solar PV research, The Netherlands is highly
ranked internationally by the presence of
renowned institutes like ECN, TNO, AMOLF/
FOM, the Technical Universities of Delft and
Eindhoven as well as the niversities of Utrecht,
Nijmegen en Groningen. Within the Innovation
programme these research institutes are
working on wafer based crystalline silicon
PV technology, thin film technology as
well as hybrid and generic applicable
PV technologies. Many of these research
operations take place in close collaboration
with Dutch manufacturers and/or suppliers
of production equipment for the solar
industry. Their aim is to develop new products
and processes which contribute to a more
widespread use of Solar PV applications.
In the field of applied research, the
Solar Energy Application Centre (SEAC)
focuses on benchmarking, field testing and
technical financial modelling of solar energy
systems and applications. In all projects there
is a synergetic collaboration with equipment
suppliers, construction companies and
others in the supply chain. SEAC focusses on
applications inbuildings, industry, agriculture
and infrastructure as well as applications
improving grid connection.
A good example of international research
collaboration is Solliance. Solliance aims at
positioning the Eindhoven (Netherlands)-
Leuven (Belgium)-Aachen (Germany) region
as a world player in the field of thin film
technology. The collaboration focuses on
fundamental research into materials at
universities and research institutions in
order to develop high-quality production
technology, production equipment and test
as well as monitoring devices in collaboration
with the industry.
www.ecn.nl/home
www.tno.nl/en
www.amolf.nl
www.tudelft.nl/en
www.tue.nl/en
www.seac.cc
www.solliance.eu