France-based Soitec, a leader in semiconductor materials, will exhibit its high-efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solutions in the French pavilion at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2013 in Abu Dhabi.

WFES, a global forum on renewable energies, is running from January 15 to 17 to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.

Soitec’s CPV products range from systems using the company’s Concentrix technology for utility-scale solar power plants to its Plug&Sun stand-alone unit for smaller scale energy needs in remote locations. The Plug&Sun system will be showcased at WFES 2013 for the first time.

“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.”

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, a statement said.

While achieving industry-leading energy-generating efficiency of 30 per cent – 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.

The Plug&Sun system, the first portable mini-tracker equipped with 4.2 sq m of CPV modules and a two-axis tracking system, generates 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.

“Although an estimated 20 per cent of the world’s population lacks access to electricity, the vast majority of affected regions has great potential for generating solar energy,” said André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé, CEO and founder of Soitec.

“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,’ he added. – TradeArabia News Service