Soitec To Exhibit At The World Future Energy Summit In Abu Dhabi, UAE

“Meeting the world’s growing demands for clean, reliable energy will require both large-scale power plants and innovative, self-contained solutions to address the needs of off-grid sites,” said Gaetan Borgers, Executive Vice President of Soitec’s Solar energy division. “At Soitec, we are committed to offering the Middle East a full range of CPV solutions.”

Soitec’s CPV technology for large-scale solar power plants

The company's technology, which is designed for use by large-scale solar power plants in sunny, hot and arid regions, provides the highest efficiency of all solar technologies available. While achieving industry-leading energy-generating efficiency of 30 percent – twice the performance of conventional photovoltaic technologies – Soitec’s systems can withstand high temperatures, and sand storms and do not require any water for cooling, making them well suited to help meet energy needs in sunny, hot and arid locations.

Soitec has installed its first project in Saudi Arabia (Medina). The company’s high-concentration, high-efficiency technology, matches day-time peak power load curves, making it an optimal solution for Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries. In addition, the technology is industrialized for highly automated manufacturing. Soitec’s manufacturing process guarantees the resulting product quality, and the technology is perfectly adapted for bringing local content and leveraging local jobs and growth.

Soitec’s Plug & Sun portable mini-tracker

At the WFES summit, Soitec will display its Plug&Sun system, the first portable mini-tracker equipped with 4.2 m² of CPV modules and a two-axis tracking system. These features enable the system to generate up to 3.4 kWp of clean, reliable electricity, allowing it to supplement or replace existing electrification solutions such as diesel- and gasoline-driven power generators or other forms of renewable energy. It is compatible with international electrical standards and comes with an integrated battery system for powering common electrical devices continuously, 24 hours a day.

“Although an estimated 20 percent of the world’s population lacks access to electricity, the vast majority of affected regions has great potential for generating solar energy. The Plug&Sun system that we will showcase at WFES 2013 provides the performance and ease of use to supply electricity to people living and working away from functioning power grids. It is also a way to replace or complement a diesel generator with solar generated electricity, stored and available 24 hours a day,” said André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé, CEO and founder of Soitec.

Already a leader in CPV technology for large-scale solar power plants, Soitec is expanding its CPV offerings to meet the needs of additional market segments. The Plug&Sun system is an example of Soitec’s creativity in bringing complete solutions to customers. This system is an eco-friendly product offering carbon-free emissions, easy deployment and low-cost operation to help meet sustainable development priorities around the world. Its durable design and tolerance for high temperatures make it ideal for use in sunny regions that have no power grid or unreliable grid connections, including remote communities, mobile sites, water-pumping and desalination systems, eco-lodges, telecommunication antennas and more. The Plug&Sun mini-tracker can supplement or replace existing electrification solutions, such as diesel- and gasoline-driven power generators or other forms of renewable energy. It delivers superior energy-producing efficiency, eliminates any reliance on fuel supplies and needs very little maintenance.