Solar Energy Made Regional

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The main goal of this proposal is accelerating the energy transition in the built environment and near long stretched infrastructure by demonstrating automated production and integration of customized photovoltaic (PV) modules and power electronics (PE) and by demonstrating fast deployment. This while matching regional demands, European legislation and public acceptance of integrated building components and larger scale regional applications in infrastructure. Previous interreg projects between Flanders, the Netherlands and Germany, more specifically in the EMR region, have shown that the technical know-how for the development of building-integrated PV (BIPV) (PV OpMaat) and infrastructure-integrated PV (IIPV) (Rolling Solar) is present within this region and generated many opportunities for regional SMEs that will contribute in the value chain of this follow up proposal. In parallel to these projects, we have also noticed that integrated PV is on the rise worldwide and that this trend offers opportunities to bring integrated PV production to Europe. This matches with the European policy to bring back the production of key technologies to European countries. In addition to upscaling the technologies demonstrated in previous projects, this can be done by optimally interweaving this integration of PV with the local, more traditional construction sectors. After having demonstrated that the technology for custom and mass production of PV is present, we also want to demonstrate in this project that the resources are there to translate this into a concept where the production process is geared towards automated integration in end products. Examples of these end products have already been demonstrated in previous projects, but always on a small scale and with manual labour in the integration phase. In this project the emphasis lies on the design process, taking into account all production steps up to the final integration in infrastructure and building elements and also taking into account on site placement in a realistic, full scale project. This translates into the tasks and deliverables detailed in work package T 1. In addition to the holistic approach of this design in various applications (BIPV: facade and roof, IIPV: noise barrier and road infrastructure), the next challenge lies in optimally connecting these energy sources with the local users and the local grid. We will be investigating new grid topologies and power converter architectures such as: a low voltage DC highway microgrid enabling local energy communities, distributed storage, and fast electric vehicle charging. This while taking into account the location and scale of the application. This topic is addressed in work package T 2. Besides the development of enabling technologies we will enable the end users who will be implementing these technologies. Here we look at cities and municipalities, districts, highways, but also small and medium-sized companies that can equip their buildings and industrial sites with BIPV and IIPV applications. This also concerns those SMEs that may not have a large self-consumption, but where integrated PV in renovation or a new construction is an opportunity. What regulations do they have to observe? What economic and other benefits can they obtain? How can they share energy and maximize the return on their energy production? In short, which business models exist and what could possibly be done in the future? We also want to clarify all these matters in order to make this hurdle lighter in the future roll-out of integrated PV. The listing of existing European regulations and  economic opportunities for collaboration between communities, governments, local groups and small businesses is carried out in work package T 3. This all fits in the densely built-up EMR region with a dense road network, where we want to make optimal use of the further roll-out of PV in the future, together with local producers and for local SMEs, companies and communities.

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