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France Photovoltaic technology status and prospects André Claverie and Cédric Camez, French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME), Renewable Energies Department |
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2003 > Last updated: 30 May 2004 |
The French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) is the organization
in charge of the implementation of the national sustainable development policy
in the five following fields: waste management, soils conservation, air quality,
noise abatement and energy management; the latter includes energy efficiency and
the renewable energies. One of the centres of activity of this policy is solar
photovoltaic electricity.
In the first half year 2003, the Government and the Ministry of Industry launched a national debate on energy. Safety of supply and environmental conservation are the two main basic requirements. On 7 November 2003, the Minister in charge of the Industry has presented the White Book on Energies (www.industrie.gouv.fr). The conclusions and the proposals put forward are in favour of energy management and renewable energies. Solar photovoltaic energy is mentioned in the research actions to be undertaken on par with hydrogen and carbon dioxide sequestration. Two parliamentary reports by MPs J. Besson (www.debat-energie.gouv.fr/site/pdf/rapport-besson1.pdf) and S. Poignant (www.assemblee-nat.fr/12/rap-info/i1153.asp) have taken an in-depth look into the renewable energies policy. The energy guidelines Act should be passed by
the Parliament in 2004. It is at this stage that the requirements in connection with renewable energies will materialize through regulatory and tax measures.
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ADEME is also a body in charge of information dissemination (www.ademe.fr) as well as the organization of training: training of installers, of those arranging projects, and of engineers for research. At the Sophia Antipolis headquarters, ADEME is thus running, in conjunction with Métrol Consultancy, two training sessions per year in photovoltaic systems. Training is designed for rural electrification and pumping applications. An additional training programme focusing on systems connected to the grid should be launched in 2004. Concerning training through research, ADEME co-finances PhD students on a grant, who for three years, participate in applied research projects in public or industrial laboratories.
Additionally, ADEME is sponsoring events of international scope such as the 19th European Photovoltaics Conference that will be held in Paris in June 2004.
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Based on the recommendations made by the experts, new projects have been submitted to ADEME from these industries covering the 2004 – 2007 timeframe. The CEA-GENEC Laboratory of Grenoble has installed a new technology platform in 2003, which will allow developing innovative manufacturing techniques of crystalline silicon cells, which could reach 20 cm x 20 cm in size. The objective of these new projects is to demonstrate the feasibility of conversion efficiencies of 20 % with processes that can be transferred to the industry at a competitive cost. The new industrial RTD projects are considering a 30 % reduction in production costs over 4 years.
Among the stakeholders of the crystalline silicon industry, there are: the industrialist Photowatt, the EMIX company and public research organizations such as CEA, CNRS and the universities. Regarding the thin film-based materials, the following are the major players: Free Energy Europe (amorphous silicon) and the consortium of partners backing the project dubbed CISEL (Cu-In-Ga-Se): EDF, Saint Gobain Recherche and the CNRS.
Last 18 December 2003, a new research platform bringing together CISEL partners has been inaugurated in Chatou (Paris area). Other CNRS teams have joined and brought more muscle to the CISEL consortium in place since 2000. Research projects such as the organic materials sectors, which were launched in 2002, will be subjected to assessment in 2004.
For the components industry outside the PV modules sector, financial support provided by ADEME has been devoted to research on lead-acid storage batteries’ ageing, on inverters with multiple management and monitoring functions and related also to technical and financial management systems for off-grid rural electrification projects. The main industrial players involved in the development works sponsored by ADEME are Apex-Bp Solar and Total Énergie.
As part of the call for proposals 2003, “Preparing the construction industry for 2010,” was launched by ADEME in association with the town planning, construction and architecture Plan (PUCA) three projects were selected. One concerns innovative work undertaken on the curved tiles by Lafarge-Couverture and Apex-BP Solar and the remaining two are aimed at demonstrating the interest and the feasibility of the photovoltaic/thermal hybrid collector (Clipsol, Cethil and Locie; Cea, Cstb and Photowatt). For their own part,
Armines and EDF have developed two tools for thermal simulation of a building integrating thermal and photovoltaic solar collectors.
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Over the year 2003, ADEME has maintained its position on the market of grid-connected
PV and integrated into the built with the objective of optimising public funding
including ADEME, and regional councils. Regarding the individuals, the recommendations
tend to limit to an electrical output of 2 kW while recalling the interest of
a general energy efficiency approach. For more ambitious projects, ADEME is favouring
solutions involving integration into the building envelope associated with architectural
quality. In 2003, public subsidies were on an average of 4,6 EUR per watt; among
which 3,4 EUR from ADEME (including the contribution provided by the European
Commission) and 1,2 EUR from regional councils.
Partnerships forged with the local authorities have allowed the emergence of new quality projects in the Western Pyrénées, Chambéry, Grand Lyon, and so on.
The SER (Renewable Energies trade group), the industrial and association groups as well as ADEME have made great strides regarding the implementation of a technical, regulatory and legal framework for the connection of photovoltaic systems to the electricity grid. All the stakeholders have thus adopted a standard (www.edf.fr/index.php4?coe_i_id=159).
Two documents have received the approval of the Energy Regulating Committee (CRE):
The construction industry’s scientific and technical research organization (CSTB) has implemented technical approvals (Atec), of which the requirements have to be met by the photovoltaic modules designed for integration into the built. Apex-BP Solar is currently undergoing the qualification procedure. In order to launch this procedure, CSTB and ADEME have provided the necessary funds.
On the other hand, the Guide for Project Supervisors: “Drafting Grid-Connected PV Systems Technical Specifications” which had been published in 2002 was revised; which has resulted in a more practical and useful guide.
The European projects benefiting from ADEME’s co-financing continued their course in 2003. The HIP-HIP Project ended with the installation of 450 kW in continental France 1 and the publication of a brochure highlighting the results of the demonstration operation “Photovoltaic Solar Energy for the Construction Industry – “Field Experience of the European HIP-HIP Project in France.”
The PV-STARLET Project developed in partnership with HESPUL
Association and the Imerys–Toiture company, plan the installation of photovoltaic systems based on SUNSAT solar tiles on about 300 houses: work is currently under way on 25 sites. The UNIVERSOL Project (www.universol.org and www.universol-France.org) coordinated in France by HESPUL is planning the installation of 345 kW on 15 buildings of an educational nature, of which two installations have already seen the light of day. In September 2003, the European project, PREDAC (www.cler.org/predac) run by CLER Association led to the gathering of about one hundred architects and construction industrialists in order to get them better acquainted with photovoltaics and fuel exchanges; while taking into account their experience and their motivation.
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EMIX Company is about to start the production of crystalline silicon ingots manufactured through the continuous casting technique via an electromagnetic cold crucible. Other research companies under contract such as Apollon Solar and Solarforce have launched new pre-industrial development projects (silicon materials, PV modules, etc.).
Concerning the photovoltaic components designed for roofing,
Imerys-Toiture has presented its new solar tile, which will be
marketed as a 1 kW kit (inverter, wiring and modules).
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Good development has been demonstrated in the grid-connected photovoltaic applications. In 2003, public investment aid covered 2,8 MW among which 1,5 MW in mainland France. Investment aids provided by ADEME, the regional councils and the European Commission can reach up to 80 % of the investment. These aids were on average of 4,6 EUR per watt in 2003.
Until now, the off-grid domestic applications on isolated sites accounted for an important market share and have registered a 20 % decrease when compared to 2002: 940 kW have been installed in 2003. An 8 % decrease had already been registered in 2002. Market saturation in the French overseas departments is to blame for this decline, as these installations can benefit from aid to the tune of 95 %. However, concerning the overseas departments, the installations that come under the tax exemption measures for investments benefited from aid (granted by EDF, ADEME and the regional councils) up to 7,2 EUR per watt in 2003.
These measures have allowed installing in France, in 2003, 3,7 MW of photovoltaic systems (outside the professional applications such as telecommunication relays).
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For the market of grid-connected installations, in 2003, ADEME, the regional councils and the European Commission have contributed funds for 2,8 MW, which represents a significant increase against the previous year. Technical, regulatory and contractual conditions of connection of the photovoltaic systems officially published in 2003 underpin the basis of a good level of development for 2004.
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