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Sweden Photovoltaic technology status and prospects Maria Malmkvist, Swedish Energy Agency Monika Adsten, Elforsk-Swedish Electrical Utilities' R&D Company |
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2003 > Last updated: 30 May 2004 |
The Swedish Energy Agency is the national authority on issues regarding the supply
and use of energy. Its main task is to implement the energy policy programme approved
by the Swedish Parliament in the spring of 1997. The aim of the programme is to
establish an ecologically as well as economically sustainable energy system. Promoting
the use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind power and PV is a
substantial part of the programme.
Elforsk – the Swedish Electrical Utilities' R&D Company is owned by Swedenergy – the Swedish trade association for production, distribution and sale of electrical power and the Swedish national grid. It is the mandate of Elforsk is to conduct efficient R&D of importance to generation, transmission, distribution and utilization of electricity.
The Swedish electricity supply system is largely based on nuclear and hydropower. Though growing rapidly, wind power and energy generated by PV still forms a minor contribution to the system. Whilst a few state-of-the-art grid connected PV systems exist, the bulk of PV plants are comprised of the domestic-off-grid systems.
As of today, Sweden still lacks market development initiatives and subsidy programmes such as feed-in-tariffs or roof-top-programmes that would lead to a direct promotion of PV in Sweden. However, in May of 2003 Sweden launched its system for the promotion of renewable energy via tradable electricity certificates. The system includes renewable energy sources like biomass, hydro, wind and PV.
The short-term prices for the certificates are however too low to have an impact on the PV market in Sweden at current PV system prices. The Agency hence provides funding for Research, cost-shared Development and Demonstration projects.
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The approach is to depart from a leading scientific platform and evolve progressively toward applications by scale-up, prototype manufacturing, and eventually, commercialization in three sub-programmes:
Furthermore, the Swedish national co-financed programme on PV systems and applications, PV 03-07 (SolEl 03-07) managed by Elforsk, started a new period during 2003 with financing for 2+2 years. It primarily involves the energy and building industry, but new participants from the manufacturing industry and property managers have also joined the programme.
This programme is complementary and to some extent linked to the Ångström Solar Center R&D programme. The main task is to perform development, objective analysis and information dissemination concerning technical and non-technical issues, costs and applications of PV systems.
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The technical achievements from CIGS thin film solar cell research in Sweden include cell conversion efficiencies up to 17 %, at the time making the breakthrough towards truly high performance thin film solar cells. In the year of 2000 a sub module consisting of four cells in series and having 16,6 % efficiency was fabricated. This is still the present world record for a solar cell module of any thin film material. This has resulted from R&D efforts where the focus has been on CIGS film fabrication by co-evaporation. The aim is that the CIGS technology developed at Ångström Solar Center should be ready to be taken over by the Swedish solar cell industry, which presently is the spin-off company Solibro AB. Utilising processes and materials that minimize the impact on the environment is of the highest priority but at the same time achieving performance and cost reduction. Thus, in research for a next generation technology, elimination of cadmium and minimization of usage of indium are main objectives. The group has recently filed a patent for manufacturing of a completely Cd-free solar cell.
Solibro AB was founded at the end of the year 2000 by four of the researchers at Ångström Solar Center. Following a fund raising period, industrial development commenced in September 2003. During the first phase the company will deal with scaling up of the active part of the solar cell, the CIGS layer. When scale-up of the CIGS fabrication process has been successfully demonstrated the plan is to expand to a complete line for fabrication of solar cell modules. The total financial frame of the first phase is 32 000 000 SEK (4 300 000 USD), out of which the Swedish Energy Agency contributes with 15 000 000 SEK (2 MUSD).
The nanostructured solar cell research concerns the development of dye-sensitized electrochemical cells fabricated with a continous process at very low costs. Efficiencies are still low with respect to CIGS and the competitiveness for this technology is currently in the niche product area. Basic research is aimed at increasing the efficiency.
Smart windows can vary the transmission of solar radiation according to the buildings energy needs. Such windows have a large potential for energy savings and enhancement of the comfort in commercial buildings. The focus in the research programme is on electrochromic coatings on flexible foils. This foil can be retrofitted in existing windows and can also be used in new fabrication, thus further increasing market potential. Currently, commercialization is pursued in niche applications.
In connection to the applied programme PV 03-07 a new research programme on building integrated PV research has been formed by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas). The programme budget is 1 000 000 SEK (130 000 USD) a year. In addition, research and development in the application of solar cells systems in the built environment is covered in the Formas yearly open call, “Energy in the built environment.”
PV will expand from stand-alone applications to power production via grid-connected, building integrated and other decentralized PV systems. However, this expansion will largely depend on the level of knowledge existent among future industrial partners. To fulfil the vision and contribute to the reduction of critical PV system costs, the programme goal is to enhance knowledge about PV as an energy source and a building component, identify possible applications of PV and raise the commercial awareness of PV systems. During 2003 planning for a new strategic investigation commenced with the objective of establishing a future scenario of high-volume PV utilization and manufacturing in Sweden.
The programme covers the rapid international development of PV systems in general and for grid-connected building integrated PV systems in particular. It also provides a basis for international exchange, such as Sweden’s participation in IEA PVPS. In addition, the programme performs evaluations of procurement, installation and feasibility for Swedish PV installations. It defines and implements a monitoring process for existing and future grid connected Swedish PV-installations. Development of reflector and hybrid-concepts for PV-systems are also included the programme.
Interest from the Swedish construction industry is focused on building integrated PV systems. Program activities include development of tools for carrying out PV projects in the built environment – information material for architects, constructors and other actors to guide them through the process.
Sweden is also coordinating a large EU-project called PV Nord. This project aims at paving the way for Building Integrated PV in Northern Europe. It combines demonstrations of nine building integrated PV-installations with analyses of different aspects of the use of BIPV in the buildings. Sweden is also a part of the EU-network PV-EC-NET.
The Swedish policies, which could indirectly promote the use of PV power systems,
are taxes and fees related to traditional energy production as well as environmental
protection and a system for the promotion of renewable energy through tradable
electricity certificates launched during 2003. The current levels of such taxes
and the short term price for the certificates are, however, likely to be too low
to make a serious impact on the PV market in Sweden at average system prices.
Instead, new installations will most likely be considered as part of a demonstration
programme and receive support from governmental funds.
Sweden’s strong industrial demand for low energy prices and poor financial support for PV projects leads to low interest levels amongst private investors and thus presents high barriers for the technology diffusion, market development and consequent price reduction alike.
Yet, as PV is recognised as a sustainable and renewable energy
technology, the general attitude remains positive and has been
expressed in form of increased consumer demand for green electricity and PV power. The solid and steady international progress, which has occurred over the recent years, not least in terms of socio-economic benefits, rapidly growing industries and employment opportunities, is receiving increased attention in Sweden.
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Naps Sweden AB designs, markets and sells products and systems
based on PV modules. Naps Systems has experience in consumer
applications, industrial applications, rural electrification and on-grid distributed systems. Finnish Naps Systems Oy owns the company and is part of the Fortum Group.
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Most of the system components in Swedish installations are
imported. A dominant fraction, around 95 %, of the Swedish module production is exported.
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In the near future we will probably see new initiatives bringing PV closer to the commercial on-grid electricity market. These initiatives could be realised in co-operation between traditional and partly new but essential actors, such as architects and building companies, which can make a contribution to market development driven by other factors than energy prices.
This, together with enhanced user oriented knowledge, through the national co-financed programme on PV systems and applications, will form the basis for future initiatives in Sweden.
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