Marrakech, Berlin, November 21, 2016 – Dr. Paul Grunow, Co-founder and Board Member of the Photovoltaik Institut Berlin (PI Berlin) and Mr. Badr Ikken, General Director of l’Institut de Recherche en Energie Solaire et Energies Nouvelles (IRESEN) signed a cooperation agreement at the COP 22 climate summit in Marrakech, Morocco. The agreement defines a partnership to consolidate the engineering expertise of the two institutes to provide technical consulting services for solar PV projects in Morocco.
“After having successfully initiated several projects aiming to develop locally solar systems and their components, we are very pleased to develop closer ties with PI Berlin to consolidate their expertise in technical consulting services for solar PV projects in Morocco and Africa” says Mr. Ikken.
In 2009, Morocco announced its goal to raise the share of renewable energies to 42% of its total installed capacity by 2020. During the COP21, the government announced an additional increase to 52% by 2030. Solar will represent 20% of the generation mix. PV technology is a clear choice for renewable energy projects and strategies. Among all suitable locations for photovoltaic power plants, Morocco is considered to be one of the most attractive places. The solar radiation abundance ensures the project profitability and offers a rapid return on investment. Coupled with the sharp drop in PV prices, this situation has made competition a lot more intense.
The developers, EPCs, suppliers and operators are obliged to guarantee not only the best performance of the PV plants but also to perform at a very competitive cost for their investors and lenders. In order to deliver such successful projects, PI Berlin has decided to join forces with IRESEN to support the knowledge development of the various local players in Morocco and across Africa. The cooperation will concentrate primarily on the evaluation, verification, testing and consultation required for the solar projects from the conceptual phase, through construction and during operation.
The partnership will also allow for the providing of services in the areas of knowledge transfer and capacity building across the African continent in order to grow the technical expertise required for the lifecycle of PV plants. “We are very excited to have found such a well-established partner in Morocco to expand the reach of PI Berlin’s services and experience in the MENA region and across Africa,” says Dr. Grunow.
About PI Berlin:
The Photovoltaik-Institut Berlin provides independent, expert advice on designing, constructing and operating PV power plants worldwide. With its experienced team of researchers and engineers, the institute offers a wide range of design and test services with a focus on quality assurance in complex PV projects. PI Berlin has already provided support for projects with a total rated output of over two gigawatts (GW) worldwide.
The institute also has an IEC-accredited test laboratory at its Berlin site for checking the performance, reliability and resistance of solar modules. Another test laboratory is located in Suzhou, China.
The institute was established nine years ago by PV experts Prof Dr Stefan Krauter, Sven Lehmann and Dr Paul Grunow, who was also one of the founders of Solon and Q CELLS.
About IRESEN:
IRESEN is a research institute created in 2011 by the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, SIE, ADEREE, MASEN, ONEE, OCP, MANAGM, ONHYM, CNESTEN and the Federation of Energy to support the national energy strategy through applied R&D in the area of solar energy and renewable energies. IRESEN has positioned itself in the area of R&D through its capabilities and research centre to provide opportunities for synergies between the socio-economic and scientific world on the collaboration of research projects.
