From prototype to second life of PV modules: New performance test and strategies

The event is aimed at companies operating in the PV industry and will foster discussion on prototyping, testing and recovery of PV modules.

The spread of photovoltaics in Italy and in South Tyrol is growing and becoming more established thanks to ecological transition policies at the European, national, and provincial levels. Over the next decade, we will witness a significant increase in photovoltaic installations, accompanied by the development of new technologies such as Tandem cells and perovskite. At the same time, with the gradual aging of existing systems, it will become increasingly important to develop sustainable strategies for lifecycle management and for the reuse of photovoltaic modules.

Why is this topic important for us? The Institute for Renewable Energy of Eurac Research, since its foundation, has carried out applied research on photovoltaic systems located at the NOI Techpark in Bolzano. The laboratories offer services for performance and reliability testing on commercial products, as well as prototype and new product line development. Specifically, the Institute offers the following services for companies operating in the photovoltaic sector:

• supporting the development of new product lines;
• carrying out sample-based quality checks on production batches from manufacturing lines;
• conducting research activities and laboratory testing in collaboration with companies and research institutions in order to make new technologies market-ready;
• performing quality checks on samples of modules intended for new installations to verify compliance with the performance declared by the manufacturer;
• performing quality checks on samples of modules from existing plants to evaluate their purchase on the second hand market;
• performing quality checks on end-of-life module samples intended for reuse in other plants.

The event will be dedicated to the present and future of photovoltaic modules and will represent an opportunity for discussion between research and companies in the sector. New methodologies for performance testing, photovoltaic module development, and strategies for their reuse will be explored. A guided tour of the Eurac Research laboratories will follow, including the Solar-PV Lab and the PV Integration Lab, during which the new equipment for photovoltaic module prototyping and testing will be showcased.

Language: Italian

Event website: From prototype to second life of PV modules: New performance test and strategies – Eurac Research