The Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración (ISFOC) is technical coordinator of the INNPACTO Project "SigmaPlantas": The innovation in plants and modules for CPV systems in Spain". This Project has been awarded for three years, having obtained a funding of € 863,759.68 in subsidies, €2,808,994.20 in loans for the participant companies and € 669,309.20 in reimbursable FEDER funds. The Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry will support this Project along 2011, 2012, and 2013, being the entities located in convergence areas (ISFOC, Isofotón, Abengoa, Ingeteam Service, the University of Castile-La Mancha, the University of Jaén and the University of Seville) co-funded by the European Union.
The following entities are involved in the SigmaPlantas Consortium: Abengoa Solar New Technologies, which is leader and general coordinator of it, Altran, Ingeteam Energy, Ingeteam Service, Isofotón, ISFOC,SENER, the Technological Centre CENER, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Solar Energy Institute), the University of Catile-La Mancha, the University of Jaén and the University of Seville.
Main goal of SigmaPlantas Project is to develop the main set of crucial activities for the HCPV systems that traditionally is forgotten all over the development cycle of power-producer systems, such as field installation or the study of production. For that reason, studies of HCPV systems improvement eill be held, supported by the R&D activities and by the innovation and technology transderence as to obtain more reliable and operative plants, trustable for the markets.
This Project is integrated into two other awarded Projects, called "SigmaMódulos" and "SigmaTrackers", as in SigmaPlantas, the systems developed on those as well as on the former mother Project "SigmaSoles" and those developed by "SigmaPlantas" will be validated and tested. The installation of module & tracker prototypes will be help in order to check their performace in the field, crucial stage to verify new Technologies, as ISFOC did at its demo plants. Final target, therefore, is to obtain a system integrating the ultimate technologies in regard with cells, optic systems and components, which will be fully characterized and validated as well as tested and checked in a demo field, all of that leading to a future manufacturing.