Led by the French regional government, the Communauté des Communes de Vic-Montaner, with Axess Tech, and the Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour lEnvironnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), a team will deploy Belectric OPV solutions in a variety of urban projects demonstrating the remarkable adaptability a Vic-Montaner and Pau, France and Nuremburg, Germany: Having a superior design while retaining good functionality is visible trend in many industries.
However, over the last decade the conventional photovoltaic market has been rushing in a different direction, often ignoring design and aesthetics, leading to photovoltaic installations are either debatable in look or excluded from use in rural and inner-city environments alike.
In a complete reversal, as a major step-change in technology, based on tried-and-tested installations at the German Pavilion, EXPO 2015 in Milan, and at the African Unions building for Security and Peace in Addis Ababa, Belectric OPV and its partners, the Communauté des Communes de Vic-Montaner (CCVM), Axess Tech, and the Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour lEnvironnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), are proving that things can be done differently: photovoltaics performing as multi-functional components in new buildings and renovations while respectfully adapting to the needs of local aesthetics.
The installations will show that OPV can play an important role in delivering safe and reliable clean energy, as well as providing a protective and educative role in supporting our communities and daily lives.
The CCVM is convinced that OPV can be integrated harmoniously and respectfully into the public environment, producing renewable energy and offering shade from sun, rain and hail, in community-scale installations, making it a perfect fit to the weather conditions in south-west France.
The CCVM is teaming up with local partners to explore the creation of local industries to deploy these new OPVs in a style that confirms and integrates seamlessly with local needs. The teaming process was led by the IPREM, an institute run by the CNRS and the Université de Pau et des Pays de lAdour, and involved in OPV research and development, and well placed through its coordination of European networks to access the right partners for this action.
Axess tech will play a key role in ensuring the link between Belectric OPV and local artisans by providing advice and technical knowledge, facilitating a transfer of this advanced technology in conformity with French regulations. For OPV components and systems technologies, this group of partners is now joining forces with Belectric OPV, the market leader for OPV projects.
Four initial projects in the communities of: Andrest, Pujo, Sedze-Maubecq, and Vic-en Bigorre are planned. Once feed-back from these communities has been made, follow-up projects in Ponson-Debats-Pouts, Pontiacq-Viellepinte and other villages will be carried out.
The range of the projects, from shaded walkways, church-yards, and public shopping malls, will demonstrate the way in which OPV can adapt to local aesthetics and needs.
All the projects, despite their being commercial in nature, will be used to train local partners in the deployment of OPV in integrated projects, setting the base for the subsequent creation of an OPV industry based on the distinctive advantages of Belectric OPVs technology based on a unique manufacturing process, combining printing, lamination and laser structuring technologies, allowing high scalability and the implementation of custom designs. Furthermore Belectric OPV will support its French partners with the integration in the individual projects by means of accompanying system solutions.
We are proud to be the first communities deploying OPV in integrated fashions in city-centre installations, says M. Jean-Louis Curret, the President of CCVM. Moreover, with this first set of projects we are laying the ground-work for an upcoming OPV industry in our region, by means of training our local industries for this new technology.
M. Patrick Baylère, President for Renewable Energies at the CCVM says, It is remarkable that within a radius of several kilometres we have researchers that are actively giving their knowledge and savoir-faire for the local population and helping Vic-Montaner in becoming a first-class player in renewable energies in France. Accordingly, we are already in the phase of planning follow-up projects on an even larger scale, he adds.
Organic Photovoltaics is a key technology for our region and we support this move 200%. Having this technology on our doorstep confirms the IPREMs key role in OPV research and development, says Dr. Olivier Donard, Director of the IPREM.
Dr. Roger Hiorns, Chargé de Recherche, CNRS says that, We believe that OPV will play an important role in our energy sourcing of tomorrow. To have these installations near-by will allow us to strengthen our research and development base, testing our materials in a safe and in a real-life environment. This will be directly relevant for future projects and for the education of our students, giving them a good chance to develop high-tech jobs in this region. Were looking forward to expanding our science education and outreach projects with local communities and schools.
Dr. Claude Viguier of Axess Tech said, Axess Tech, with its understanding of the importance of new technologies, electrical installations, and artisanal work will provide a pivotal role in helping incorporate this renewable energy technology into a natural landscape, respecting French values, customs, and local legal needs. We will work closely with Belectric OPV and the IPREM and advise local artisans to ensure that this exciting new technology is implemented safely so that France has a strong implication in this technology.
After the installations in Milan and Addis Ababa we are now looking forward to the projects in Vic-Montaner region, showing OPV in direct placement in city-centre environments and in several very innovative integration forms, exemplifying the versatility of our technology. The initial projects with completely different OPV setups will be another proof of the endless possibilities OPV can offer, comments Mr. Hermann Issa, Director of Business Development and Sales, Belectric OPV.
Furthermore the cooperation with the local partners creates the environment needed for follow-up projects and will be a good opportunity to make OPV installations more widely used in the coming years.nd resilience of OPV (organic photovoltaic) installations.
