German solar testing house Fraunhofer ISE opened its new technology evaluation centre, dubbed ‘Module-TEC’, in a former Solar Fabrik factory in Freiburg, Germany this week.
The over-1,000-square-foot facility is designed to manufacture small batches of PV module prototypes and test them in industrial systems, so that solar manufacturers can test new products and technologies without having to invest in the production equipment themselves. Module-TEC is equipped with facilities for cell interconnectors, laminators and a range of materials and solar cell technologies.
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Fraunhofer said that the new facility would offer PV manufacturers a number of services, including virtual analysis, connection design and prototype construction through to long-term stability analyses and the possibility of pre-certification according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
“Germany and the European Union have a strategic interest to build up resilience in PV module production and not to remain dependent on Chinese suppliers,” said Andreas Bett, institute director at Fraunhofer ISE. “The new centre aims to promote innovations developed at Fraunhofer ISE and to support European material, module and system manufacturers in the market launch of technologically excellent and sustainable PV products.”
The Module-TEC facility is the fourth evaluation centre that Fraunhofer operates, in addition to PV-TEC, which focuses on solar cells; Con-TEC for new generations of PV module with high and low concentration factors; and SiM-TEC, which examines new technologies for silicon wafer production.
Fraunhofer ISE has long been recognised as a technology leader in the solar industry. The Module-TEC team has previously developed a conductive, lead-free and adhesive solar cell technology alongside system manufacturer teamtechnik, and earlier this month Fraunhofer produced a “record-breaking” industrial-size tandem perovskite solar module in partnership with Oxford PV.
Europe’s PV manufacturing companies have been struggling of late, with a number of shutdowns and calls for legislative aid from trade body the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC). However, technological innovation – include that which is offered by Fraunhofer and other research institutions – and industry-wide collaboration have been heralded as a possible lifeline.
Davor Sutija, CEO of Norwegian wafer manufacturer Nexwafe, wrote a guest piece for this website earlier this month, in which he argued that Europe can still capitalise on its competitive advantages by leveraging technological innovation and commercial alliances, a view seemingly encapsulated by Fraunhofer’s new facility.
Holger Neuhaus, head of the PV Module Technology department at Fraunhofer ISE and of the Module-TEC facility said: “We hope that the reorganisation and expansion of our Module-TEC facility will enable us to provide PV companies with even faster and more comprehensive support.”