PerSpire

The photovoltaic sector, in Italy as well as in South Tyrol, has started growing again. Experts predict a boom in new installations over the next decade, justified by the numerous legislative initiatives launched to implement the ecological transition strategy. This strategy also includes, among other things, the return of green technology manufacturing in Europe. At the same time, photovoltaic module technology is following a trend that will lead to an increasingly widespread use of high-efficiency, larger, and mainly bifacial modules. Furthermore, new technologies currently in the R&D phase, such as those based on tandem cells, will enter the market. The growth and technological change prospects will affect all actors in the value chain, who will need to rely on competent laboratories equipped with advanced infrastructure.  

The PerSpire project aims to modernise and expand the laboratories dedicated to photovoltaic modules at the Institute for Renewable Energy of Eurac Research, in order to support the business of quality-oriented companies and the creation of new enterprises. The laboratory will offer a service for performance and reliability testing on commercial products, as well as services dedicated to prototype development. The specific objectives of the project are: 

• to support the development of new product lines by carrying out environmental stress tests and verifying quality in terms of performance and safety 
• to perform sample-based qualitative inspections of production batches from production lines, both owned and operated on a commission basis 
• to conduct research activities supported by laboratory testing, in collaboration with private companies and/or other research institutions, in order to bring innovative technologies (e.g. Tandem cells) to a sufficient level of maturity to enter the market 
• to perform qualitative verification of module samples intended for new installations prior to their deployment, in order to confirm compliance with the performance declared by the manufacturer 
• to perform qualitative verification of module samples from existing installations within due diligence analyses aimed at evaluating their acquisition on the so-called “second-hand market” 
• to perform qualitative verification of module samples at the end of their life cycle, intended for reuse in other installations 
• to perform qualitative verification for the diagnosis of issues affecting existing installations (e.g. through electroluminescence).