The Taanayel center, in the Bekaa Valley in Mid-Eastern Lebanon, has been independently powered using solar power from Plug&Sun™ concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) equipment for a year now. This power supply system was awarded to the Arcenciel association after its electrification project was selected by the jury of Sunidarity, an initiative launched by Soitec to support humanitarian projects.
"The Taanayel center hosts a workshop for the distribution and repair of technical aids, a medical center, specialized classes for children in difficulty, a day-care center, a youth club, a dental clinic, a dispensary, and many other activities for people with the greatest needs," explains Kim Issa, marketing manager for the Arcenciel association that runs the facility. “As power generation in Lebanon is not sufficient to ensure continual power, the population uses temporary generators based on fuel oil engines which are highly polluting and often break down." Therefore, they decided to turn to a more reliable and environmentally friendly way, CPV systems.
The Arcenciel association presented its electrification project as part of the first Sunidarity call for projects. This initiative, created by Soitec, assists NGOs, associations and foundations that wish to use solar power to boost economic development. The winning projects receive Plug&Sun™ equipment that includes two CPV trackers connected to a power management system and to a set of batteries. After the Plug&Sun™ equipment being installed on the building's flat roof, it means that the ground area used for the children's recreation activities could be left untouched and it helps to keep the equipment secure.
"The Sunidarity jury was won over by Arcenciel's intention to use solar energy to improve the welcome of young children in a country where access to electricity is not always easy" recallsFabio Mondini, vice-president of Middle East, Asia Pacific and LATAM of the Soitec’s Solar Energy Division. "A member of our team gave three days of training to a representative of the association to facilitate the installation and use of the Plug&Sun™ equipment on site. A year after the equipment was installed, we're proud to see that the electricity that is produced not only provides lighting, but also powers fans, water fountains, computers and even TVs and games for the children."
Soitec’s CPV technology
Each Soitec CPV module is made of a glass plate on which triple-junction cells are mounted. Fresnel lenses, manufactured from silicone and arranged on another glass plate, concentrate 500 times the light that reaches these high-efficiency cells. The cells then convert the concentrated light into electricity using Soitec technology, which holds the world record for efficiency of solar cells and modules. The two glass plates are held together by a metallic frame. This design provides the units with their strength, durability and resistance. The units are mounted on trackers, and, by means of their biaxial movement, these systems can track the course of the sun, automatically optimizing the units' position to maximize energy generation throughout the day.
The Plug&Sun™ system was designed to meet the energy needs of isolated sites. The system comprises two or three trackers linked to an energy management system and to a set of batteries. Each tracker has a peak power of 1.14 kWp. Electricity generated during the day by the trackers can be stored using the batteries, and be used to power all kinds of electrical equipment. Where electricity needs are greater, the new solar power generating system Plug&Sun+™ can achieve output levels of 7.65 kWp per tracker.