Fraunhofer mentioned that the brand new facility would supply PV producers various companies, together with digital evaluation, connection design and prototype building by means of to long-term stability analyses and the potential for pre-certification in accordance with 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,” mentioned 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 analysis centre that Fraunhofer operates, along with PV-TEC, which focuses on photo voltaic cells; Con-TEC for brand new generations of PV module with excessive and low focus components; and SiM-TEC, which examines new applied sciences for silicon wafer manufacturing.

Fraunhofer ISE has lengthy been recognised as a expertise chief within the photo voltaic {industry}. The Module-TEC group has beforehand developed a conductive, lead-free and adhesive photo voltaic cell expertise alongside system producer 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 corporations have been struggling of late, with a number of shutdowns and requires legislative support from commerce physique the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC). However, technological innovation – embrace that which is obtainable by Fraunhofer and different analysis establishments – and industry-wide collaboration have been heralded as a attainable lifeline.

Davor Sutija, CEO of Norwegian wafer producer Nexwafe, wrote a guest piece for this website earlier this month, during which he argued that Europe can nonetheless capitalise on its aggressive benefits by leveraging technological innovation and business alliances, a view seemingly encapsulated by Fraunhofer’s new facility.

Holger Neuhaus, head of the PV Module Technology division at Fraunhofer ISE and of the Module-TEC facility mentioned: “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.”