Karlstad University has been awarded SEK 11.5 million from the Swedish Energy Agency and Region Värmland as the SOLVE research centre enters a new five-year phase. The investment will contribute to the development of future solar energy systems and support Sweden’s transition towards a more sustainable energy system.
SOLVE brings together universities, businesses and public-sector organisations in research aimed at enabling a faster expansion of solar energy in Sweden. The total budget for SOLVE’s upcoming five-year period amounts to SEK 139.4 million. At Karlstad University, the research focuses on areas including new solar cell technologies, energy communities where several households share locally generated solar electricity, and agrivoltaics, where agricultural production is combined with electricity generation from solar panels.
A key part of the university’s work is the development of methods for detecting faults and damage in solar power installations.
“We want to develop analysis methods that can quickly determine whether a solar power installation is functioning as it should. As more solar farms are being developed, there is also a growing need for efficient inspection and maintenance methods,” says Markus Rinio, Professor of Renewable Energy with a specialisation in solar cells at Karlstad University.
The researchers are working with an advanced imaging technique known as daylight photoluminescence imaging, which makes it possible to identify faults that are invisible to the naked eye, such as microcracks and failed components.
The aim is for the technology to eventually become a standard tool for inspecting large-scale solar power installations.
“With these methods, we can first detect that something is wrong and then determine exactly what the problem is,” says Markus Rinio.
The new project period will also involve the recruitment of new doctoral students. At present, doctoral candidates in physics, computer science and mathematics are affiliated with SOLVE at Karlstad University, with further recruitment planned over the coming years.
The research initiative forms part of the Academy for Smart Specialisation, a strategic collaboration between Region Värmland and Karlstad University. Future solar energy systems is one of several priority areas identified in the region’s research and innovation strategy.
“It is important that the results benefit the region. We have companies and installers working with solar energy in Värmland, and a secure electricity supply is crucial for both industry and society. Solar power combined with battery storage will play an important role in the energy systems of the future,” says Markus Rinio.
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