www.ines-solaire.com

The photovoltaic industry has its professional association with INES, that is, the Institut national de l’énergie solaire – National Institute for Solar Energy. The INES is setting up private/public sector research partnerships, such as the Photosil project that aims to develop what they call a “metallurgical” silicon that would considerably bring down the manufacturing costs of photovoltaic panels. The partners involved in the project, the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission), the French national research body CNRS, Ferropem and Appolon Solar may well soon bring out their brainchild with the AII, the Agency for Industrial Innovation, created in August 2005, whose mission it is to support industrial programs.

See yourself taking the rays in the field of solar energy? The INES website is a must. The “Links” (Liens) heading lists design offices, decorators, producers of photovoltaic solar energy and thermal solar energy in France and abroad. You’ll also find a list of journals and newsletters in the field of solar energy.