The Heliotrop Concentrated Photovoltaic technology will produce electricity that is competitive with all other energy sources at between 6 and 10 c / kWh.
After review by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and an international jury, the consortium has been awarded a 16 million funding package to support a total investment programme of 44 million. The programme includes the build-out of manufacturing facilities as well as the installation of Heliotrop CPV modules. French government resources will accelerate the scaling of Heliotrops Concentrated Photovoltaic technology.
The partners bring complementary skills to the project: applied research, industrial manufacturers and power plant operators. They include CEA, CNRS, GMD group, éolane, Exosun, Neoen, Compagnie Nationale du Rhone and INEO GDF Suez. The consortium aims to replicate the manufacturing methodologies of the automobile sector in the solar industry. The partnership approach and innovation will allow the Heliotrop consortium to generate solar power at grid parity and to create around 800 sustainable jobs over the next three years.