1. Cheikh Mouhamed Fadel Kebe
Etude de la performance et de la fiabilité des modules solaires PV en Afrique Subsaharienne
(Senegal, Call 2016)
Nicolas Wyrsch
Photovoltaics and thin-film electronics laboratory (PV-lab), EPFL
Cheikh Mouhamed Fadel Kebe
Centre International de Formation et de Recherche en Energie Solaire (CIFRES), EPS Dakar
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2. Project scope and goals
Degradation mechanisms of solar modules in sub-saharian climatic conditions
Goals
Start a collaboration between CIFRES and PV-lab
Exchange of modules and methodology
Get preliminary modules monitoring results
Explore opportunities for continuation projects
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3. Project activities Degraded solar modules sent from CIFRES to PV-lab
Detailed investigations of these degraded solar modules
Partial delamination
Cracks
«Snail tracks»
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4. Project activities
New solar modules fully characterized at PV-lab and sent to CIFRES
Installation of modules on two sites for long term monitoring (first site running, second to be set ASAP)
Exchange of module evaluation and monitoring data
Mission of PV-lab to CIFRES (end of October)
Mission of CIFRES to PV-lab (this week)
Plans for improvements of the monitoring platforms in Senegal
Exploration of possible continuation projects (scope and funding)
Drafting of a project proposal to continue and strengthen the collaboration
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5. Challenges and problems
Logistics
Choice of module due to cost of shipping modules  Smaller modules, but should still be representative of full size module
Climatic conditions (rain season)  Delays
Availability of material and equipments in Dakar
Need for simple and cost effective solutions
Solutions adapted for local environment
Impossibility to directly transfer solutions developed at PVLAB
Set up a low cost solar module monitoring system
Budget
Seed money helpful
Need for a full fledge project
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6. Opportunities Help PV development where it could make a big change
Provide useful expertise on the choice of technology
Help develop adapted technique and methodology
Enable a raising in confidence for PV solutions
Develop low cost monitoring system to test materials, equipment and evaluate local PV potential
Set up a long term collaboration to support PV deployment in Senegal (possibility to duplicate the scheme in other countries)
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7. Experience of PV-lab Collaboration experience with foreign partners:
Mutual commitment to help the development of PV, but means and problems are very different
Allowed PVLAB to understand the bottlenecks for PV deployment in Senegal (and African countries)
Very rich and fruitful exchanges
Looking for opportunities / funding to establish long term collaboration
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8. Experience of CIFRES Collaboration experience with EPFL researchers:
The major lesson we learn from this project is a rich and beautiful collaborative experience.
Approach was simple with a coherence in the collaboration on a common thematic of research
Assessment of the contributions of the different actors involved:
Exploiting complementarity in our skills and technical capacities
The good common comprehension of the thematic was a good point to undertake challenges quickly
Starting by a small project with real activities in field was a good approach to better involved researchers
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9. Benefit of seed funding
Seed funding was essential to start a collaboration and first exchanges
Budget cut unfortunatly delay full deployment of the project actvities (will be financed by PVLAB)
Allows EPFL to have a rather clear view of the PV market in Senegal and assess the problems
Allows discussions on concrete possibilities to extend and enlarge collaboration
Allows for a first good experience in term of technology transfer
A concret initiative in term of north/south research collaboration on a prospective thematic such as degradation of solar pannels in Sahelian region
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10. Outlook Continue the exchanges and collaboration between ESP and EPFL
Exchange of monitoring data
Exchange of experience
Look for more monitoring sites
Develop simple low cost monitoring station
Continue to explore possible financing sources
Finalize and submit project proposal (according to financing)
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11. Thank you for your attention
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