General Framework

National Programme

Research and Development

• NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Trondheim: 4 PhD studies. Focusing on silicon feedstock, refining and crystallisation. Supporting Scan Wafer and Elkem.
• Agder College: 4 PhD on silicon in co-operation with Oslo University supporting Elkem.
• IFE (Institute of Energy Technology): 4 PhD studies; second hand pilot line for solar cells recently acquired and installed. Supporting industry (Scan Cell and others).

IFE is involved in a project called, “Market potential analysis for the introduction of hydrogen energy systems in stand alone power systems.” The project is working to establish realistic market development projections for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in small to medium sized remote power applications. The project is running from 1. February 2002 to 31. January 2004, under the EU Altener programme. The partners are the Institute for Energy Technology, Norway, Trama TecnoAmbiental, Spain, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources, Greece, and Econnect Ltd, UK.

IFE is also running the following for the new Nordic Scientific Programme (2003-2006): Solar Electricity, from Materials to System Integration (Nordic PV) The objective of this scientific programme is to strengthen the commercial development of solar cells in the Nordic countries. This will be achieved by:

• Strengthening the research effort undertaken by the individual partners, which all represent major national research groups in the field of solar cells.
• Establishing a formal Nordic collaboration between the major national research groups, and thereby establish a significant player in the international, fast-going solar-energy research arena.
• Establishing a programme which stimulates mutual technology transfer between the presently market dominant multi-crystalline silicon solar cells and new emerging solar cells close to commercialization, such as CIGS, CdTe and photo electrochemical based cells.

The span in cell technology, the span in technical maturity of the products and the interdisciplinary project group, will establish optimum conditions for cross fertilisation and a unique potential for new innovative solutions – both critical factors for the enduring commercial success of Nordic enterprises involved in renewable energy.

The activity of this programme will be concentrated on further development of silicon solar cells, thin film solar cells, photo electrochemical solar cells and system integration of these solar cells. Partners in the project are University of Uppsala, Helsinki University of Technology, Danish Technological Institute, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). The program is coordinated by IFE and has a total budget of 14 350 000 NOK.
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Implementation

The main market for PV in Norway continues to be related to off-grid applications. This refers to both the leisure market (cabins, leisure boats) and the professional market (primarily lighthouses/lanterns along the coast and telecommunication systems) in this vast and sparsely populated country. Exceptions are demonstration projects, for which grid-connection, in some cases was performed.

Up to 1992, the leisure market, dominated by new installations in remote cabins in the forests and mountains of Norway, grew rapidly. After 1992, this market slowed down due to saturation. However, some cabins have been fitted with additional power to serve new demands like TV and refrigeration. Since the first installations are now more than 30 years old, it will probably make sense to begin replacing systems, rather than repairing them.

The cabin market accounts for 80-90 % of the Norwegian market, with 85 W being a representative typical system size. Applications for leisure boats have also grown over the past years. In Norway, most of the systems used on leisure boats exceed 40 W.

During the 20 past years, size and comfort of the Norwegian cabins have increased significantly. Although modern cabins are often built in compact fields connected to the grid, thus offering the same comfort as permanent houses, surveys have uncovered that 70 % of cabin owners value surroundings that are mainly unaffected by human activities. Therefore, in many instances, while new cabins do not offer an opportunity for PV systems, this is not a universal trend. On the contrary, in the last few years we have seen the introduction of more ambitious systems in the leisure market for PV-systems. A few cabins have, on commercial terms, been equipped with comparably large PV systems, about 600 W. These systems have a 12 V installation for lighting and an inverter for supplying 230 VAC to conventional power outlets. They may also have a small generator for backup.

On the border between the leisure and professional market, installations at a couple of tourist cottages in the mountains were a notable feature in 2002. Also, these installations provide 230 VAC and have a generator as backup. As a continuation of this trend, one might hope that in the near future, the installation of PV systems will become fully integrated into the design and construction processes for cottages.

In the period after 1992, the slowdown in the market for cabins was partly compensated by the development of new markets. PV powered coastal lighthouses was a significant new market. Even north of 70°, lighthouses may be powered by PV, provided the battery bank has sufficient capacity. The programme was launched by the Coastal Guard in 1982 and was completed in 2000-2001. Approximately 2 350 installations serving lighthouses and coastal lanterns have been achieved. The smallest are equipped with one single module of 60 W, the largest with arrays counting up to 66 modules. A large number of the systems are powered by 3 to 4 modules of 60 W. The average is 135 W per installation. The cumulative installed PV power is 310 kW.

Applications of stand-alone PV for telecommunication stations and hybrid utility systems (called here the professional market, as opposed to the leisure market) have also grown during the past years. Utility companies have made some selective investments for providing electricity to remote dwellings. PV in combination with other energy sources has been demonstrated for permanent dwellings, and may offer a viable solution where the distance to existing electricity grid exceeds 10 km. An earlier demonstration project, where PV was combined with a LPG fired engine generator-set, has been followed up by a few other LPG or diesel powered systems. Although these systems include battery storage, they do not appear to have included PV installations. Actual turnover and installations vary from year to year, depending largely on project allocations. The market is estimated to be 5-10 kW on the average. In 2002, the actual figure was in the low range.

In marked contrast to many countries in Europe, Norway does not have any incentive schemes supporting the installation of PV systems. Therefore, there are very few grid-connected systems. The same may be said about building integrated approaches, although a few small systems have been installed on private initia-tive, and a 5 kW system is in the planning stage in Kristiansand. The latter project is sponsored by the EU–financed project PV-Nord.

There are plans for equipping a private home in Bergen with 3,8 kW PV in 2003. This project is being carried out on a completely private initiative, without any public incentives, and also comprises solar heating and wood firing. The building is a single family house originally constructed in 1936. If realized, this project will be reported in the NSR for 2003.
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Industry Status

• Elkem Solar was established in 2001 with its main objective is to develop a process for feedstock to solar cell production. As the world’s largest producer of metallurgical grade silicon and with a long term experience in design of metallurgical equipment, the process development was based on metallurgical unit processes. No other producers are today producing silicon in a process specially designed for the solar market. Therefore, this new process represents an important milestone in the development of the PV industry. Up to now, most efforts have been put into the process development itself, but during 2003 the first wafers with Elkem Solar based feedstock were produced and tested in laboratory scale equipment. Part of this work was done in cooperation with Sintef in Norway and the University of Konstanz, Germany, and the first results were published during PVSEC-14 in Bangkok, January 26-30, 2004. Efficiencies of solar cells produced during this test work were in the same range as obtained for solar cells based on electronic grade Si, and above 14 per cent.

  

• Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) is a significant player in the international solar energy industry. From the headquarters and R&D centre at Høvik outside the Norwegian capital of Oslo, subsidiaries are operated on three continents. REC is the only company in the world that covers the whole value chain of solar energy - from the manufacturing of solar grade polysilicon feedstock to the marketing of photovoltaic systems to the consumer.
  The value chain from silicon feedstock to solar systems, based on multicrystalline silicon wafers, consists of 6 distinct production steps as illustrated in figure below.
  The research staff is now conducting experimental tests in a four-inch laboratory-scale fluid bed reactor (FBR) previously built by Advanced Silicon Materials LLC (ASiMI). The experiments will study reactor design and process parameters for production of polysilicon from silane. The goal of the research is to determine the design of a commercial reactor for large-scale production of PV feedstock; meeting the U.S. PV Industry goal of < USD 20 per kilogram.
  A dedicated supply of low-cost feedstock has been identified by the industry as a technical barrier to continued reduction in solar panel costs. In 1995-1999, ASiMI designed several improvements in a process to develop semiconductor-grade granular polysilicon and holds several patents. SGS is now testing further modifications to reduce production costs for a solar grade granular feedstock.

• Scan Wafer plant NR. 3 in south of Norway (Porsgrunn) started up 2003. Its capacity (silicon wafers) is 60-70 MW yearly.

Further reading about Norway

• Norway - Country information