Aug 30 2010
The Swiss federal institute of Technology in Lausanne and the western Swiss power company (Romande Energie) joined hands in developing a solar park in Switzerland.
The solar power generating park created over an area of 20,000 square meters over the roofs of the EPFL's campus incorporates four types of photovoltaic cells and various types of energy storage devices. The partners of the solar power park are planning to make the place a foremost research and development center by the year 2011 with a considered energy innovative partnership.
The solar park constructed with a budget of $35 million is entirely financed by Romande Energie and will be managed by the company. Pierre-Alain Urich, Romande Energie’s Director General, said that the investment reflects the plans of the company to get occupied in large level research and improvement programs in renewable energy production field. He envisaged the plans of the company to step up its renewable energy production to achieve 250 million kWh during 2020-2025, in combination with other renewable energy sources with a total investment of around $500 million.
Prof Francis-Luc Perret, EPFL’s Vice Director, said that nearly one tenth of the newly created park area will be utilized by the scientific research teams engaged in various fields. He added that the new facility while offering all the features required by a modern research laboratory will also offer a place to showcase the development of the soft technologies Four different types of Photo cells, such as Graezel Cells, which use a photosensitive pigment and generate power even in poor-light are used and flexible solar cells, which could also be used on non strait surfaces, as they are very thin and flexible in addition to Tandem Technology of the solar energy and the Solar Hydrogen.. He explained that the project, a result of well maintained cooperation between the university and a private industry engaged in applied science will encourage the research in four different types of photovoltaic solar cells.