OREANDA-NEWS. The IPVF and the French National Research Agency (ANR) have signed a six-year, ˆ18.5 million financing agreement that allows the institute to start operating and endorses the content of its scientific programs. The IPVF is an initiative of Total, French electric utility EDF, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Ecole polytechnique engineering school, alongside Air Liquide, Horiba Jobin Yvon and Riber. The ANR operates it on behalf of the government agency for investment policy, Commissariat General a l'Investissement (CGI), under the Efficacity research program to help cities meet future energy targets.

Jean-Francois Minster, Senior Vice President, Scientific Development at Total, will serve as the IPVF's first president: “The Institute aims to make France a global leader in solar energy and to shape the future landscape of photovoltaics. We must support the energy transition by speeding up the development of affordable, efficient solutions.”

Research activities aim to improve existing technologies and develop new concepts. They comprise five scientific programs, focusing on:

Materials for high-efficiency silicon cells.

High-efficiency, thin-film solar cells made using chalcogenide materials.

New concepts for a competitive photovoltaic industry.

A multidisciplinary program on advanced characterization techniques, theory and modeling.

A program dedicated to environmental impact studies.

An engine of national and European Union policies to develop renewable energies, the IPVF stresses teaching and the training of specialists so that it can become a recognized center of excellence. It has a total budget of ˆ150 million and is scheduled to start construction in 2014 on the Paris-Saclay campus. In 2016, the Institute expects to have nearly 200 researchers from the private sector and partner public research centers and will host teachers and Master's and doctoral students. It will form partnerships with the other Saclay research clusters, the major global solar manufacturers, and small business and industry in the Greater Paris area.