Solar Campus: Chronology

The Solar Urban Garden project continues to grow. This year, we presented the first experimental results on the synergy between food production and solar power generation. Jobim Convie’s master’s thesis, as a student of Energy and Environment Engineering, shows how, despite the peacocks, beans and carob grow better under the solar panels, whilst maize prefers the sun and fared better in the control area.

This year will be marked by the official launch of the solar urban garden project on 21 March 2023, International Day of Forests, as part of Sustainability Week, an event organised by students from CIÊNCIAS to plant the first spring crop, involving students, lecturers and researchers.

A new project is beginning to take shape at the Solar Campus: the Solar Urban Garden is an agrivoltaic project that harnesses the synergies between food production and clean energy generation. The shade created allows for the development of a microclimate conducive to plant growth; in turn, the plants reflect solar radiation onto the bifacial photovoltaic panels, increasing solar electricity production. All this is detailed in João Manita’s master’s thesis and in this article in Renováveis Magazine.

The Solar Campus has launched a new project, LXCROP, a laboratory for sustainable hydroponic cultivation that reuses treated wastewater enriched with essential nutrients and synthetic microbial communities. Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, phosphate solubisers and producers of phytohormones and growth factors work in symbiosis, ensuring the healthy development of plants and demonstrating new possibilities for implementing a circular economy.

In a year marked by the pandemic and restrictions on in-person activities, the Solar Campus was closed to visitors, but scientific activities continued. Of particular note was the installation and comparison of different solar radiation sensors, exploring new approaches to characterising solar resources for building-integrated photovoltaic systems.

The solar radiation measurement station of the Solar Campus and its associated weather station have been relocated to the roof of Building C1 at CIÊNCIAS to support performance measurements of the PV plant installed there. Following recalibration of the sensors, the equipment now forms part of the refurbished solar radiation laboratory, which supports research and teaching. The new laboratory also includes testing of prototypes for new radiation sensors.

Energy Summer School visits the Solar Campus

Since 2015, Ciências has hosted an annual Energy Summer School, aimed at secondary school pupils, giving them the chance to experience university life whilst learning about renewable energy and sustainability, alongside professores and students from the faculty’s Integrated Master’s in Energy and Environmental Engineering (MIEEA). During this week, participants can look forward not only to theoretical classes, but also to computer-based and laboratory sessions, as well as fieldwork, where they will be able, for example, to measure solar radiation and carry out experiments with a model solar house.

A solar-powered campus

Because, almost a decade after its inception, the Solar Campus is now an iconic feature of the Ciências landscape, a unique space that is always open to experimentation, learning and communication, a window onto a cleaner and more sustainable future, the Gazeta da Física covers the projects, ideas, classes and the role of Solar Campus in science communication.

The Solar Campus is hosting two new experimental setups to measure the effect of dust and dirt on photovoltaic systems with various tilt angles and orientations. This study is particularly significant because there is little research on these effects in an urban environment.

New testing laboratory for thermal insulation systems for self-build low-cost housing

The Solar Campus is hosting two new experimental setups to measure the effect of dust and dirt on photovoltaic systems with various tilt angles and orientations. This study is particularly significant because there is little research on these effects in an urban environment.

Visitors of all ages

One of the Solar Campus’s missions is to raise awareness of solar energy among young people. We host numerous school visits and summer work experience placements, open days and other similar initiatives. And from time to time, we welcome visits from younger children, who come to see for themselves how solar energy can generate electricity – quietly and without producing any smoke.

Master’s thesis completed at the Solar Campus

The Solar Campus offers ideal conditions for carrying out experimental academic theses on solar energy. For example, Dário Lopes developed and tested a solar tracking system using light sensors and an electronic prototyping platform.

In partnership with Active Space and Martifer Solar, the SEGSOL project, funded by the National Innovation Agency, has developed a new concept for passive solar tracking based on the differential thermal expansion of vertical panels. The experimental prototype was installed and monitored at the Solar Campus. One of the outcomes was Daniela Pereira’s master’s thesis.

Master’s thesis ‘completed’ at the Solar Campus wins award

The 2015 APREN Award for the Best Master’s Thesis on Renewable Energy (honourable mention) was awarded to the thesis “Energy yield of CPV modules with different cell technologies”, written by Sara Freitas, a student on the Integrated Master’s Programme in Energy and Environmental Engineering. The thesis explores experimental measurements on Circadian Solar’s high-concentration solar prototype installed at the Solar Campus, contributing to the development of new methods for characterising the performance of this type of system.

1st Week CIÊNCIAS in Motion Week | February 2014

This week, the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon organised a series of activities spread over five themed days, during which different scientific disciplines ‘engaged’ with one another and with visitors. Throughout the week, there were scientific workshops, guided tours, scavenger hunts, lectures and much more.

As Energia was bound to be involved, the Energia nas Escolas group organised a number of activities, including workshops on solar doodles and solar-powered cars.

Radon monitoring station installed on campus | January 2014

As part of RADON – Radon gas variability in buildings and soils – integrated experimental assessment, an FCT research project in the field of Geophysics and Meteorology, a monitoring station has been installed to study the physical mechanisms influencing the variability of radon gas (a radioactive gas) through a combination of experimental data and numerical modelling.

One planet, our home – Energy Day | November 2013

On this day, the theme of energy, common to many research areas at IDL, was celebrated with guided tours of the IDL's 160th Anniversary Exhibition and the Meteorological Observatory's 150th Anniversary Exhibition. The day's program also included solar-powered car workshops and two lectures by professors from the energy department, one about a project in São Tomé and Príncipe called Solar Schools, and another about the study and optimization of energy consumption in buildings.

Finally, everyone was able to appreciate the beauty of the late afternoon next to the photovoltaic rooftops at the college and explore the prototypes on the solar campus.

Energy, Earth and Environment - DEGGE Open Day | May 2013

With the theme "Energy, Earth and Environment," the DEGGE Open Day program included presentations of final course projects and an exhibition of prototypes by students from the undergraduate programs in Meteorology, Oceanography and Geophysics, Geographic Engineering, and the Integrated Master's Program in Energy and Environmental Engineering.

The master's theses of students Sara Sequeira, Maria João Chinita, Sofia Henriques, and André Oliveira were also presented, as well as the GreenCampus Prize awarded to the student team André Malheiro et al., who won this competition. Ricardo Leandro also spoke about the European Innovation Prize he received for creating a hybrid solar system. Following this, an exhibition of experimental prototypes and posters by the students enlivened the rest of the afternoon.

As part of the European Days of the Sun, a project co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe program, Lisboa E-Nova, the Municipal Energy and Environment Agency, and APISOLAR, the Portuguese Solar Industry Association, organized a visit on May 17th to several buildings that have adopted solar thermal and photovoltaic systems. The aim of the visit was to give participants the opportunity to directly interact with this equipment, verifying its practical use, whether in public or private buildings.

The places visited were the Rego Municipal Swimming Pool, the Jardins de São Bartolomeu condominium, and the rooftops of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon.

Fourth Circadian Solar Award | April 2013

During the commemorative session for 102nd anniversary of CIÊNCIAS, the fourth Circadian Solar Award was presented to the top student in the Photovoltaic Solar Energy course of the Integrated Master's Program in Energy and Environmental Engineering, Rodrigo Silva.

Third Circadian Solar Award | April 2012

On the occasion of the commemorative session for the 101st anniversary of CIÊNCIAS, the third Circadian Solar Award was presented to the best students in the Photovoltaic Solar Energy course of the Integrated Master's Degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering, students Ana Oliveira and Sara Freitas.

Solar campus connected to the grid | December 2011

The photovoltaic systems at the Solar Campus are connected to the electricity distribution grid under the Microgeneration Law: the electricity produced by the solar systems is sold to the grid at a subsidized price. The revenue will be used to support maintenance costs and research projects in partnership with WS Energia. The grid connection was only possible thanks to the supply of the solar thermal system from Bright Solar and the acquisition of SMA Sunny Boy inverters, which have since been supporting microgeneration production at our solar campus.

Centenary of the University of Lisbon | April 2011

As part of the celebration of the centenary of the University of Lisbon, the initiative 100 PLACES – ROUTES AT THE UNIVERSITY consists of tours over the weekends from March to May 2011 to publicize the past and present of the University of Lisbon, as well as its connection to the city over the years. The tour included a visit to the Statue of José Pinto Peixoto, Solar Campus, C8 Building, C6 Building, D. Luiz Institute and Oceanography Institute and will be attended by: José Manuel Pinto Paixão (FCUL), Luís Mendes Victor (FCUL) , Ana Simões (FCUL), António Vallêra (FCUL), Miguel Centeno Brito (FCUL), Maria José Costa (FCUL), Architect Gonçalo Byrne, Architect José Laranjeira, Architect José Neves and Miguel Miranda (FCUL).

Second Circadian Solar Award | April 2011

During the commemorative session for the Centenary of CIÊNCIAS, the second Circadian Solar Prize was awarded to the best student in the Photovoltaic Solar Energy course of the Integrated Master's Degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering, Nuno Martins.

When I grow up I want to come to this school! | March 2011

Visit of a 4th grade class from Escola Basica nº 35, from S. Sebastião da Pedreira, to learn about issues related to renewable energies, in particular about photovoltaic solar energy.

The visit, organized by the Energy and Environment Engineering Student Committee and doctoral candidate Ivo Costa, began at the Solar Campus where the children were able to see the photovoltaic panels, discover how they are made, understand how they work, and what the differences are between each technology.

They discussed the different forms of renewable energy they knew and were surprised to find that many of them were actually indirect uses of solar energy. Their astonishment was equally enormous when they realized that those seemingly complex panels were made of "beach sand"!

A solar-powered car race followed in C6, and the children were able to better understand how electrical systems work in practice and what the advantages and problems of photovoltaic technology are. In an instant, everyone learned how to switch connections to put the car "in reverse," tilt the cells towards the sun to receive more energy... and how to shade the opponents' cars. "After all, it's not that complicated!" And since everyone was eager to be "scientists" when they grew up, the visit couldn't miss the Photovoltaic Applications Laboratory, where students could learn how to make photovoltaic cells from quartz crystals, ask all sorts of questions about the experiments in progress, and understand the purpose of that mess of wires, machines, and instruments.

In the end, the students returned to school with their notebooks full of notes, their curiosity sharpened and with a taste for science. As one of them said: "I'm going to tell my dad I want to go to this school." Let's hope so!

Report on the RTP2 Programa com Ciência | February 2011

A Science, Technology and Innovation program, featuring reports and interviews with key players in the sector, presented by Vasco Trigo.

Solar tracker installed at the Faculty of Sciences | June 2010

Circadian Solar, a leading developer of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems, has installed a solar tracker on Campus Solar - Faculty of Science's Solar Systems Test Laboratory, taking advantage of the high direct solar radiation (DNI) in the city of Lisbon as well as the experience of the research group on solar energy at the University of Lisbon, led by Professor António Vallêra.

The installed system is a 5 m2 solar tracker, a substructure of the 30 m2 tracker (CS30) from their product line. The mounted solar tracker allows easier access to the structure for quick module changes during development, providing high accuracy in tracking the CS30. Ethernet access allows remote control of the tracker and transmission of monitoring data to Circadian's headquarters in the UK for immediate analysis.

Prof. António Vallêra noted that the University of Lisbon is pleased to include Circadian Solar's solar tracker in its field of testing and that, “We are all eager to learn more from the data that the system is already collecting, pleased by this collaboration with Circadian Solar, helping them to develop innovative designs for market applications."

Dr. Geoffrey Duggan, director of R&D at Circadian Solar commented: "Our solar research follower at the University of Lisbon is an important test unit that will greatly improve our development of III-V thin film solar cell modules, under development through our joint venture with the University of Radboud. Lisbon is easily accessible from the UK, and we are happy with this collaboration with Prof. António Vallêra and his team. It should be emphasized that just a few days after our engineers arrived on site, the solar tracker was assembled, installed, and connected, quickly registering record performance that was instantly transmitted to our headquarters.

First Circadian Solar Prize | April 2010

During the commemorative session for the 99th Anniversary of CIÊNCIAS, the first Circadian Solar Award was presented to the top students in the Photovoltaic Solar Energy course of the Integrated Master's Degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering: Ana Bastos and Lucas Fritz.

National Photovoltaic Concentration Summit | November 2009

On November 26th, the first National Concentrated Photovoltaic Summit was held, a joint organization of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and WS Energia, a European leader in the installation of concentrated photovoltaic systems. The Summit also served as the occasion for the inauguration of the Solar Campus - Solar Systems Testing Laboratory at FCUL.

The primary objective of the National Photovoltaic Concentration Summit was to bring together the various national R&D stakeholders in the photovoltaic concentration area to reflect on the challenges of its industrial development. With approximately one hundred participants, in addition to the hosts and co-organizer, WS Energia, the Summit included representatives from Instituto Superior Técnico, the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the Nova University of Lisbon, the first national manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, Lobosolar, and the leading national companies in the development and assembly of electronic components, Globaltronic and HFA.

The scientific program of the Summit was divided into two distinct parts. In the morning session, open to the public and with the participation of a significant number of students from the Faculty, the technological challenges and technical solutions to be developed in order to manufacture photovoltaic generators capable of generating electricity at a cost competitive with fossil fuels (10 cents/kWh) were discussed. The afternoon session, specifically and restricted to researchers from the HSUN (High Sun WS Energia) medium-concentration project, was dedicated to analyzing technical aspects in advanced stages of development: design of high-efficiency cells, selection of components to be integrated into new photovoltaic receivers, simulation of shadows and the overall efficiency of photovoltaic parks, design of smart electronics, among others. The joint organization of this meeting naturally resulted from an ongoing collaborative project between FCUL (through the Research Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Lisbon – SESUL, and the Department of Geographic, Geophysical and Energy Engineering – DEGGE) and the company WS Energia, embodied in participation in scientific projects and the joint supervision of doctoral and master's students.

One of the results of this collaboration is precisely the Solar Campus – Solar Systems Testing Laboratory at FCUL, whose official inauguration took place on the day of the summit. The Solar Campus is a space at FCUL for testing solar systems. The prototypes installed there, for now only a series of photovoltaic systems from WS Energia, will soon be connected to the electrical grid for the sale of electricity under the Microgeneration Law. The revenue from the sale of green electricity to the national electricity grid will initially be used to offset the costs of the interventions carried out by FCUL to enable the use of the space and connection to the grid. In the long term, the revenue will be used for maintenance costs and investments in instruments and equipment, or other educational and scientific activities associated with the photovoltaic systems.

The objectives of the Solar Campus project are scientific, pedagogical, and aimed at disseminating scientific knowledge. From a scientific standpoint, monitoring the currently installed systems will allow for the study of the performance of low-concentration photovoltaic systems with solar tracking. This performance will also be studied within the curricular work of the Integrated Master's Degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering, especially in the Photovoltaic Solar Energy course, thus strengthening the practical training of our students who will have the opportunity to observe a real system integrated into an urban environment. The choice of a space with high external visibility reveals FCUL's strong commitment to promoting renewable energies in general, and solar energy in particular, as well as the technological application work developed at FCUL.

It was a shame that the sun didn't cooperate with the opening of the Laboratory, only timidly peeking through the cloud-laden sky…