Concentrated PV

Enjoying high levels of direct sunlight and a favourable political climate Greece is set to become a frontrunner in the concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) market. With licensing issues now resolved the path is clear for CPV technology with its proven efficiencies and dependability to accelerate the trajectory of solar energy in Greece; a country which has been hailed "the next Mediterranean PV tiger".

Enjoying high levels of direct sunlight and a favourable political climate Greece is set to become a frontrunner in the concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) market. With licensing issues now resolved the path is clear for CPV technology with its proven efficiencies and dependability to accelerate the trajectory of solar energy in Greece; a country which has been hailed "the next Mediterranean PV tiger". By Jack Craze Experts have predicted that 2010 will be a big year for solar energy in Greece. The combination of generous feed-in tariffs a sunny climate and the loosening of bureaucratic constraints has driven industry optimism with many agreeing that the Greek solar market can now begin to realise its full potential. Within the Greek PV market CPV is still as elsewhere a relatively nascent technology. By the end of 2009 CPV had made zero contribution to the solar energy generated by PV technology across the Greek mainland and islands. In 2010 however CPV looks set to make its mark. Of the projected 100 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity for the year CPV is anticipated to generate between 3-4 MW. A market target which Fotis Christodoulopoulos General Manager in Greece for CPV company SolFocus considers highly achievable: "I'm very optimistic. These are exciting times for CPV in Greece and I think there's every chance that our technology can make an impact here in 2010."

 SolFocus is the only CPV company with commercial capacity currently operating in Greece.

 In 2009 it announced an agreement with Concept a division of the Samaras Group to jointly develop the first commercial installation of CPV in the country. After initial delays the project is now well underway as Mr. Christodoulopoulos explains: "A lot of the licensing issues which held things up last year have been resolved. "Things are in place now and we are ready to start installing our equipment." Direct normal irradiance The bulk of the Greek CPV market is in Crete although there will also be some installations in Rhodes and on other smaller islands. Sites have been selected based on their capacity for direct normal irradiance (DNI). DNI is sunlight that shines directly on a given area and CPV technologies thrive in the higher temperatures found in high DNI regions. Whereas more conventional PV systems do not stand up to excessive heat CPV performs well and achieves its efficiencies in large amounts of direct sunlight producing around 20-30% more energy than conventional PV. The main technology being deployed across the Greek CPV sites is the SolFocus 1100S system. This system has a concentration ratio of 500:1 and combines triple-junction cells with reflective optics enabling it to convert 25% of the sunlight it receives into electricity. The SolFocus technology also uses tracker panels to maximise DNI exposure. Although as an emergent market CPV still presents a degree of risk in terms of investment the efficiency and simplicity of CPV technology is there for all to see. Contracts for SolFocus deployment are testament to the growing recognition of CPV's potential and as Mr Christodoulopoulos observes: "among utility companies our CPV systems have been accepted as a proven technology." The sleeping giant awakes Once the Energy Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies begin work in the Greek CPV sites grid connection should take between eight to 12 weeks. Under the current project schedule the first delivery of CPV-generated power is expected towards the end of the summer. Following the initial installation in Crete plans for expansion are likely to be announced. Dimitrios Samaras president of Samaras Group is confident that this year's developments will drive CPV in Greece and in other high-sun regions. Of the partnership with SolFocus he said: "We look forward to proving the strength of CPV through the results of this installation." In reality CPV will occupy only a fragment of the Greek PV market for some time to come but momentum is building and as in Spain CPV could one day play a major role in Greece's solar energy production. And with investors such as Piraeus Bank already giving strong support to PV and other renewable energy technologies there is clear potential for future expansion. Once dubbed 'the sleeping giant of European renewables': "Greece is now awaking to the enormity of its solar potential. According Stelios Psomas policy advisor for the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO) Greece could be "within the top ten PV markets worldwide over the coming years". The main driver for the industry according to Mr. Psomas and other leading figures will be bureaucracy. While progress has been made in cutting through some of the red tape surrounding energy project development further relaxations will be crucial – and these as always will depend on political will. In the words of Mr. Psomas: "if the politicians get the messages the market will boom."