Project: Metrology for emerging PV applications

Acronym 19ENG01 Metro-PV (Reference Number: 19ENG01)
Duration 01/09/2020 - 01/09/2023
Project Topic Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation has an important role in realising EU targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The amount of generation capacity growth will be strongly influenced by economic factors. So, if installation costs continue to fall, demand will likely follow, creating a virtuous cycle of investments in new, potentially more efficient, technologies. Additional, so far under-exploited, applications such as installations within building structures or for powering Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices might also become viable. However, international standards for measuring cell energy outputs are inaccurate for shaded or indoor locations, and for promising alternative cell technologies, with the effect of inflating development costs.The project will develop reference devices and measurement procedures to improve power output measurement accuracies for technologies such as multi-junction and perovskite cells. A quality metric for PV power output sensitivity in shady locations will also be developed. Methods for measuring the performance of PV-based energy-harvesting devices for IoT applications under low-light conditions will also be developed and validated. Take-up of technologies developed in the project will then be promoted by contributing to improved international standards. If adopted, the industry will then be able to further optimise products to realistic operating conditions. This will reduce research and development risks and accelerate cost reductions of photovoltaics, and so encourage increased investment in capacity.
Website visit project website
Network EMPIR
Call EMPIR Call 2019

Project partner

Number Name Role Country
1 Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Coordinator Germany
2 Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö sr Partner Finland
3 Institut za mjeriteljstvo Bosne i Hercegovine Partner Bosnia and Herzegovina
4 Laboratoire national de métrologie et d'essais Partner France
5 Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu Partner Türkiye
6 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Partner Germany
7 Institut für Solarenergieforschung GmbH Partner Germany
8 JRC - Joint Research Centre - European Commission Partner Belgium
9 Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana Partner Switzerland
10 TÜV Rheinland Energy GmbH Partner Germany
11 CERTISOLIS TC Observer France
12 Industrial Technology Research Institute Incorporated Observer Taiwan