The Campus Solar project was launched in 2009 in partnership with the company WS Energia. Later, Circadian Solar joined the project by installing a high-concentration, multi-junction prototype, and also created the Circadian Solar Award to be awarded to the best student in the Solar Photovoltaic Energy discipline of the Integrated Master in Energy Engineering and Environment. In 2011, Bright Solar offers a solar thermal collector, which made it possible to connect some of the photovoltaic systems to the electricity grid under the microgeneration law. In 2015, the solar lighting pole with passive tracking was erected, developed within the scope of the SEGSOL project, in partnership with Active Space and Martifer Solar.
The existence of these solar energy systems in the teaching/research unit has also allowed the realization of several master's theses in close collaboration with our partners.
WS Energy
A WS Energy was a solar energy start-up. The creation of the company in 2006 resulted from the application of highly specialized knowledge between two recently graduated physicists. The foundation of the company's launch was the improvement of a photovoltaic system that had the support of innovation incentives. The low concentration system WS Energia Double Sun was the subject of a design and optimization study within the scope of the PhD thesis in Sustainable Energy Systems “Development of photovoltaic systems with Concentration” carried out by student Filipa Reis MIT Portugal/FCUL.
Fixed WS Energy System
|
System |
Fixed |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
September 2009 |
|
Modules |
3 Sanyo HIP-210 NHE 1 modules |
|
Technology |
Crystalline Silicon |
|
Orientation |
Optimized |
|
Total peak power (W) |
630 |
|
Modules efficiency (%) |
16.7 |
|
Total area (m2) |
3.78 |
WS Energia system with 2-axis solar tracker
|
System |
WST1000 Follower |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
September 2009 |
|
Modules |
6 Renewis 175 |
|
Technology |
Crystalline Silicon |
|
Orientation |
Two-axis tracking |
|
Total peak power (W) |
1050 |
| Modules efficiency (%) | 13.3 |
|
Total area (m2) |
6 |
WS Energia Double Sun system with low concentration 2-axis solar tracker
|
System |
DoubleSun |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
September 2009 |
|
Modules |
3 Sanyo 190 BE3 modules |
|
Technology |
Crystalline Silicon |
|
Orientation |
Two-axis tracking |
|
Total peak power (W) |
860 |
| Modules efficiency (%) | 16.4 |
|
Total area (m2) |
3.48 |
Microgeneration Production
WS Energia's photovoltaic systems were connected to the grid using SMA Sunny Boy inverters; their production has been monitored. Below is an example of electricity generated monthly.
Circadian Solar
Circadian Solar was involved in the development of photovoltaic concentration systems (CPV) to exploit the enormous potential of solar energy as a source of clean, cheap and virtually unlimited energy. Circadian Solar's CPV system was designed to be able to supply solar energy at competitive prices, especially in regions with abundant direct solar radiation. In 2010, it was ranked 16th on the list of the top 50 university companies compiled by The Daily Telegraph.
Circadian Solar's high concentration system at Campus Solar allowed us to study the performance of its product in an environment with high levels of solar radiation and a mild climate, which is that of Lisbon. Some of the prototypes of the modules manufactured by the company were the subject of a comparative study within the scope of the Master's thesis in Energy and Environmental Engineering “Energy yield of CPV modules with different cell technologies”, carried out by student Sara Freitas.
The tracking platform installed by Circadian Solar contains, in addition to the photovoltaic module prototypes, a Meteorological Station for measuring wind speed, ambient temperature, among other variables, and normal, direct and global solar radiation.
Circadian Solar Award
The Circadian Solar award was awarded from 2009 to 2013 by Circadian Solar. This award consisted of an offer of €1,000 to the best student in the Solar Photovoltaic Energy course of the Integrated Master in Energy and Environmental Engineering, thus sharpening interest and raising motivation for success, not only in the subject but throughout the course.
List of winners:
- 2009/2010 - Ana Bastos and Lucas Fritz
- 2010/2011 - Nuno Martins
- 2011/2012 - Ana Oliveira and Sara Freitas
- 2012/2013 - Rodrigo Silva
High Concentration Solar Circadian System
|
System |
CS30 |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
June 2010 |
|
Modules |
Circadian Solar Prototypes |
|
Technology |
Multi-junction III-V |
|
Orientation |
Two-axis tracking |
Bright solar
Since 2006 Bright Solar is an energy services company oriented towards a comprehensive and integrated offer, regarding all aspects that influence energy consumption, one of the leading companies in the renewable energy sector in Portugal.
Thermal Solar Collector
|
System |
Bright Solar |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
April 2011 |
|
Collector |
KaloRA AV |
|
Technology |
Selective collector |
|
Thermal power (W) |
1515 |
|
Optical yield (%) |
75 |
|
Total area (m2) |
2.25 |
Active Space / Martifer Solar
Active Space (https://www.activespacetech.com/) is a company that develops and supplies electro-mechanical systems for extreme environments, namely space applications. One of the projects he developed was the SEGOL passive solar tracking system, tested on Campus Solar.
Martifer Solar, now Voltalia Portugal (https://www.voltalia.com/pt), is a company in the renewable energy sector, producer and service provider in the production of renewable energy from solar, wind, water and biomass, also combining storage solutions.
|
System |
SEGSOL |
|---|---|
|
Installation date |
2014 |
|
Modules |
MPrime, Martifer solar |
|
Technology |
Crystinalline Silicon |
|
Orientation |
Azimuth tracking |