• In our commitment to R&D in the PV industry, in 2020 we have fortified ourselves with innovative technologies. 

• We have carried out a study with the Institute of Solar Energy of the Polytechnic University of Madrid on the efficiency of bifacial modules. 

• 2021 appears to be a promising year, providing our technology in some of the most important projects in Europe and the Middle East. 

During 2020, the renewable energy sector has proven to be a safe haven for investment, even under adverse conditions such as Covid-19 pandemic. To the health situation we must add the speed of technological change in a sector that reinvents itself every year to gain efficiency. At PVH, we understand the important need to adapt to an environment where certain risks have been assumed, in order to offer high-level solutions that mitigate and solve them.

We have worked diligently in the research and development of new technologies that increase the efficiency of our products and, in turn, the operability of the photovoltaic plants in which we participate. At a time when installations are becoming increasingly large, with tens of thousands of solar trackers spread over kilometres of land, an evolution in communication technologies is necessary. As our CTO, Ivan Arkipoff, explains: “We have designed our algorithms and solutions based on LoRaWAN, the long-range technology that allows us to offer greater reliability in the communication between the solar trackers and the plant’s central controller“.

In addition, PVH has also incorporated a new tool that improves the efficiency in the implementation of the controllers that move the motor of the solar trackers (DriveBox-DBOX): the technology of Near Field Communication without Contact (NFC). With NFC, our plant operators can find out the state of charge of the batteries and/or the chain current; change the inclinometers; detect a possible failure in the solar tracker; and even load the operating parameters, among others.

All these tools converge and complement each other to offer a greater optimization in the plant. Overall, we work on developing solutions that improve the energy production of PV installations that are located on uneven terrain, as well as those in areas where there is greater diffuse radiation.

I+D together with UPM

At PVH, we encourage company/university partnership to undertake rigorous research and in-depth analysis. In this collaboration, we have partnered with the Institute of Solar Energy of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, a globally recognized entity with more than 40 years of research in photovoltaic technology and one of the academic institutions that most researches the new technologies of the future.

Together we have carried out a study to measure the front and rear irradiance of the bifacial modules, as well as the operating temperature of the cells and their power. In this way, says Antonio de Dios, our R&D Centre Director, “the analysis of the data obtained will allow us to determine the degree to which the position of the modules and their temperature affect the productivity of the system, with the aim of optimizing designs, increasing electricity generation and reducing costs with this technology”.

Increased production and research capacity

We have increased our annual production capacity to 8 GW and our R&D department by expanding our facilities in Valencia. This will allow us to have a greater demand for projects and a greater number of opportunities, studies and analyses to contribute increasingly in the innovation process of the photovoltaic sector. 

A promising horizon in 2021

With the relocation of our U.S. offices to California and the achievement of our Safe Harbor, we intend to develop a great activity in North America during the next year, with new projects and opportunities.

It is worth highlighting our role as solar tracker suppliers in some of the most important PV plants in Europe and the Middle East. We currently have 2.5 GW in projects that are already ongoing and our technologies are offering a considerable improvement in terms of efficiency and risk mitigation in the plant.

As one of the leading companies in the PV industry, with the most extensive portfolio of solar tracking solutions, at PVH we work to offer a complete and innovative technological service.