Research - objectives

Since 1990

Société Mont-Soleil has been one of the most important centers of expertise for photovoltaic research in Switzerland since its founding in 1990. Its work focuses on application-oriented research. Through its close collaboration with other institutions such as École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL and Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH, Société Mont-Soleil achieves the long-term and broad-based promotion of solar technology.
 

Ongoing development of photovoltaic technology

The irregular energy production of photovoltaic installations is a focus of the research activities of Société Mont-Soleil. Depending on the time of day and weather conditions, extreme variations can occur. In times of excess generation, the grids can become overloaded. In times of insufficient generation, the shortfall has to be compensated for by other power plants or imports. Projects researching the grid load situation with photovoltaic installations and local energy storage are currently under way.
 

Raising awareness of solar energy

Société Mont-Soleil is characterized by innovation and a spirit of discovery. For nearly 30 years, Société Mont-Soleil has implemented and supported concrete photovoltaic projects and test facilities. The most important projects include the then largest solar power plant in Europe at Mont-Soleil (1992), the development of the world’s largest solar-powered passenger ship with the MobiCat (2001) and, since 1993, the test and demonstration center for innovative solar cells.