General Framework
Photovoltaic activity in Israel is concentrated mainly in academic research, with
limited industrial involvement. The ubiquity of the electricity grid makes most
applications non-cost-effective, except in unique situations.
About 470 kWp have been installed so far; 32 kWp were installed in 2001. Nearly all the applications are off-grid remote electrification systems. Most installations were made on an economic basis, the PV system being the most economically viable alternative (because of its distance from the electric grid).
The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) is required to purchase electricity from private producers, according to rules set by the Ministry of National Infrastructures. There are no promotion initiatives or subsidies for PV systems. However, there are indications that public perception of renewable energy is becoming increasingly positive. As a result, both the Government and the IEC are studying net-metering schemes and revising regulations to enable power buy-back.
A resolution adopted by the Government in November 2002 mandates that at least 2 % of total electric energy be generated from renewable sources by 2007, rising to 5 % by 2016. The decision might positively influence also the local PV market.
There are no special regulations relating to PV systems, although the IEC has general guidelines relating to the quality of the electricity it purchases.
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Industry involvement
A few firms are active in the PV field, and they deal mainly with system integration. Most companies are small, and are not exclusively dedicated to PV. Some of the local production of systems is exported.
Presently there is no local production of PV cells or inverters. Israel has the required technological infrastructure enabling it to produce all the components needed for integration in PV systems. However, due to economical considerations, components such as modules are imported. In spite of this, some unique Israeli PV systems have high added value related to the balance of system (in particular, control systems), and therefore, they have international market potential.
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Research and Development
More than fifty research teams are involved in photovoltaic R&D, most of them from academe, spread over most research areas (with no concentration of effort on particular subjects). Many of these teams cooperate with leading teams worldwide (both in academe and in industry).
Among the current R&D projects, a number are highly innovative and worth noting:
- A novel thin-film solar cell from carbon, in its new form of buckminsterfullerene(C60 ), is being investigated at the National Solar Energy Center in Sde Boker.
- Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have tackled the problem of the questionable stability of CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells, and are confident that they have solved the problem. The issue was and is a vexing one as these are the first truly thin film polycrystalline cells for which plants of several MW production capacity have been built.
- An innovative industrially-oriented design and fabrication technology for high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells with a selective back-surface field structure was developed by a team at the Jerusalem College of Technology, in cooperation with the PV Group of ENEA at Casaccia, Rome. An improved method for the determination of cell recombination parameters was also developed as a tool for the control of fabrication processing effects.
- Performance of various photovoltaic modules under desert conditions is being monitored at the National Solar Energy Center in Sde Boker.
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Demonstration and Application
A number of projects are underway, and the following are particularly worth mentioning:
- At Kibbutz Samar in the Arava Valley (Negev Desert), the first 4,5 kWp of a planned 200 kWp project have been built. The system claims the lowest ever balance of system (BOS) for a grid-connected project. Computer simulations of system performance were run by the Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Center, based on ten years of hourly recorded data gathered five kilometers from the site.
- Tel Aviv University is planning a 45 kW grid-connected system on the facade of a new building.
- Traffic and toll billing on the new Cross-Israel Highway are monitored by Traffic Probe Readers (TPRs) powered by PV panels. TV cameras read the cars’ license plate numbers and the system
reports the information to the control center for toll billing to the driver. 51 TPRs will be installed eventually. The system is the first of its kind in the world, and consists of a 220 Wp solar panel and a 400 Ah battery bank that can provide four days of autonomy. It was designed and built by Millennium Electric Ltd.
- The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) is investing 1 MUSD in a 30-home grid-connected demonstration project in the Negev. Each home will have a 3 kWp PV array, and the system will include inverters, meters and data-collection units. Through this project, called the “Solar Village,” the IEC will investigate the operating regime, the impact on the local grid, the types of interconnections, the selection of suitable meters, etc.
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Educational activities
In the Nitzana village in the Negev desert, an educational project is underway, called “Science Following the Sun”. The project brings to hundreds of school children the message of solar energy, including photovoltaics. Within its framework, the IEC is planning to erect a reverse-osmosis desalination unit powered by a PV array. In addition, the IEC will turn four single-family homes into grid-connected solar homes, each with a 2 kWp PV array. These installations will be a test bench toward the “Solar Village” project.
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Government actions
As mentioned above, it is expected that the recent Government resolution establishing a minimum quota for electricity from renewables will influence favorably the PV market. In addition, a number of actions are being taken to encourage the PV activity. Among them:
- Keeping the R&D excellence centers alive through selective Government support of projects. The R&D expenditures in photovoltaics of the Ministry of National Infrastructures were 125 000 USD in 2002; however, additional funding is available in this area from other research foundations.
- Supporting grid-connected demonstration projects by up to 30 % of investment.
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Further reading about Israel
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