ENEA

ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment is an Italian public Organization with around 2800 mainly researchers, technicians and high specialised employers located in 12 centers, PV experimental area of Monteaquilone, and several local national/international offices. It undertakes actions to support competitiveness and sustainable development in our Country by promoting and carrying out basic and applied research and innovation technology through development of prototypes and product industrialisation, by disseminating and transferring technologies, encouraging their use in productive and social sectors and by providing high-technological services, studies, tests and evaluations to both public and private bodies and enterprises. ENEA also participates at several national-international initiatives and it is strongly linked to International initiatives of IEA, IEC, CERLEC, etc)
In 1990 ENEA promoted the development of the largest national scientific area devoted to photovoltaics in its Portici Research Centre (Naples), one of the largest European PV Research Centre. It also allocated further resources on PV R&D in Rome Casaccia Research Centre.
The ENEA PV community can rely on a staff of 50 researchers/technicians hired permanently, plus a number of intermediate positions, fellows and students
It is mainly involved on the field of cSi, thin Silicon, PV & Solar thermal Concentration, Organic Solar Cells and Innovative concepts, as well as PV systems, components and characterization . Relevance was also given to the concentration by launching PhoCUS (Photovoltaic Concentrators to Utility Scale) project in 2002 in order to develop a low-cost photovoltaic concentrators (PV-C) technology, based on the point focus approach. The project assured the development of the solar cells, heat spreaders, prismatic and hybride refractive lens, system housing, trakers and the mechanical-thermal and electrical performance analysis and modelling of each PV-C component also in reference to IEC or any other applicable standard.

Role in the project:

Workpackage leader of WP1.- Optimisation of existing material and monolithic and discrete MJ cells.- Development of AR coatings and protective treatment for long term stability.- Optimization in collaboration with NAREC of the crystalline silicon solar technology for the for MBS CPV system.- Realization by PECVD of Ge/SiGe/Si “virtual substrates.- Development of modules and primary-secondary optics for the concentration.- Development of integrated modules including MPPT.- Solar cell, modules and lens indoor/outdoor characterization including lifetime prediction.