development

The IPVF (Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France) is brimming with examples of the exciting opportunities awaiting the solar industry. Total joined forces with 9 government agencies and other energy sector players to set up the IPVF, and its internationally respected lab teams and industry-leading manufacturers are now working side by side in Paris-Saclay campus to upgrade existing photovoltaic technology and bring about disruptive concepts. The IPVF has 200 researchers working on 3 programs (silicon-based technology, chalcogenide thin film-based technology and high-yield solar cells) amounting to a €180 million investment. It also has an experimental research facility open to other photovoltaic sector players and a training program including a master’s degree, guidance for doctorate-level students and continuing education.

As photovoltaic technology will be an integral part of tomorrow’s cities, Total and several other top-tier players in the smart grid universe have been working together on the IssyGrid project since 2012 to try out approaches to shrink carbon footprints, optimize consumption and pool resources on a large scale in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a city skirting Paris. This project encompasses 2,000 homes, 5,000 residents, 160,000 sqm of offices and 10,000 employees today and it is aiming to achieve the “3 times 20” target, i.e. using renewable energies to cover 20% of demand, reducing energy consumption by 20% and lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, by 2020, compared to 1990 levels.