The Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración (ISFOC) is the leading coordinator of a Strategic Singular Project (SSP), "SigmaSoles: The Innovation in Concentration Photovoltaics in Spain." This project has been developed over the last two years (2009- June 2011, due to an extension of 6 months granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation in order to comply with the main Project goals), having obtained a funding amount of €2,132,210.00 through the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government, and FEDER funds.
In the SSP SigmaSoles Consortium, the following Spanish entities have been involved: companies such as Abengoa Solar New Technologies, Altran Innovations, BSQ Solar, Guascor, Ingeteam Energy, ISFOC, Isofotón, LPI, SENER, Soldaduras Avanzadas and Teknia; Cener and Cidetec Technological Centres, Public Bodies such as INTA, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, the University of Jaén, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
There have been several main project goals, among which are a great set of aspects among the different areas of work: industry, global market, and CPV development. One of the specific areas of work has focused on high-efficiency solar cell development and on new optic concepts, which will be the pillar for these high-efficiency and top-competitive modules. Likewise, development and grid-feeding equipment have also been worked on. Another big area was the development of regulations and tests applicable to this new technology, like the start-up of the instruments and procedures for solar resource evaluation, to determine the real yield of a CPV plant. Finally, renewable energy markets have also been evaluated through technical-economic studies, technological supervision, and training and diffusion acts, facts that have contributed to boosting Spanish industrial and technological development regarding this emerging sector.
The consortium of participants has achieved such success while carrying out the tasks that this commitment, as well as the aim of developing the CPV technology, both have led to 4 new SigmaSoles spin-off projects: Projects INNPACTO from the 3Q of 2011, supported again by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, with ISFOC as the technical coordinator in three of the four:
- SigmaMódulos (technical coordinator: ISFOC)
- SigmaEquipos
- SigmaTracker(technical coordinator: ISFOC)
- SigmaPlantas (technical coordinator: ISFOC)