News Article
Horiba Participates in France Photovoltaic Research Institute
Solar R&D Center Institut Photovoltaïque d'lle de France (IPVF) and French Government Sign Financing Agreement.
The IPVF and the French National Research Agency (ANR) have signed a six year, €18.5 million financing agreement that allows the institute to start operating and endorses the content of its scientific programs. The IPVF is an initiative of Total, French electric utility EDF, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Ecole polytechnique engineering school, alongside Air Liquide, HORIBA Jobin Yvon and Riber.
The ANR operates it on behalf of the government agency for investment policy, Commissariat Général à l'Investissement (CGI), under the Efficacity research program to help cities meet future energy targets.
Jean François Minster, Senior Vice President, Scientific Development at Total, will serve as the IPVF's first president: "The Institute aims to make France a global leader in solar energy and to shape the future landscape of photovoltaics. We must support the energy transition by speeding up the development of affordable, efficient solutions."
Research activities aim to improve existing technologies and develop new concepts. They comprise five scientific programs, focusing on:
- Materials for high efficiency silicon cells.
- High efficiency, thin film solar cells made using chalcogenide materials.
- New concepts for a competitive photovoltaic industry.
- A multidisciplinary program on advanced characterization techniques, theory and modeling.
- A program dedicated to environmental impact studies.
