Offering Department and Institutions

Host department: PROMES (Process, Material and Solar Energy)
PROMES is a Research Unit of CNRS (UPR 8521) belonging to the Institute for Engineering and Systems Sciences (INSIS) under contract with the University of Perpignan (UPVD). The laboratory is located in three sites: Odeillo-Font Romeu (1 MW CNRS Solar furnace), Targasonne (Themis site, 5 MW central receiver solar facility, a site of "Pyrénées Orientales" Council) and Perpignan, Tecnosud. CNRS and UPVD have created the IN’SOL Unit devoted to solar innovations that is supported by PROMES in Tecnosud site that develops the solar test platform of Perpignan (CESP).PROMES is the leader of the laboratory of excellence SOLSTICE (Solar Energy: Science, Technology and Innovation for Energy Conversion).
The laboratory staff is composed of 150 persons from CNRS and UPVD working together on a common subject, solar energy development on all levels. PROMES is then naturally a founding member of the CNRS research federation on solar energy, FédéSol.
PROMES is organized in 8 research groups and 6 departments. The main research fields are “materials under extreme conditions” and “conversion, storage and transport of solar energy”.
One of the original missions of PROMES is to develop researches with the large scale concentrating facilities of CNRS in Font Romeu (particularly solar furnaces) and of “Pyrénées Orientales” Council in Targasonne (Themis central receiver plant). These researches may be carried up to the demonstrator level as done for the PEGASE project.
Moreover, the laboratory is in charge of the development of the National Platform on concentrated solar energy thanks to the “equipment of excellence” SOCRATE project (Concentrated solar energy, advanced researches and energy technologies). It is also very active in the management of the DERBI competitiveness cluster. PROMES leads the laboratory of excellence SOLSTICE.
Access to the PROMES unique facilities for the European research community is open thanks to the European project SFERA. More generally, the laboratory is strongly connected to the European research thanks to SOLLAB and projects such as CSP2 and OPTS.

Master Programme Solar Energy

The Master Programme Solar Energy (SE) hosts the students of the European Master in Renewable Energy (EUREC Master) during the second semester. The master Solar Energy is a 2 years course programme launched in 2005 and covering fundamentals, applications, materials and technologies for both possible solar conversion modes: thermal and photovoltaic. Students of the EUREC Master follow the part of this SE program related to the thermal conversion, with a specific focus on high temperature processes. The course contents are identical for the two programs, but are taught in English for the EUREC Master students, and are given in PROMES premises in Odeillo, offering unique Concentrating Solar devices.

Lab Facilities

The major part of practical training is organised in the PROMES laboratory located in Odeillo. For the low solar energy and storage energy modules, additional practical training will be organised in PROMES–Perpignan.
In Odeillo :
The PROMES laboratory is equipped with large scale concentrating systems, with a high temperature measurement lab and with pilot scale solar receiver testing facilities at low and high temperature.
Concentrating solar facilties:

•     10 very high concentration solar furnaces (1kW – 2 kW)
•     One medium concentration solar furnace (5 kW)
•     One 50 kW (thermal) dish equipped with a 10 kW Solo Stirling engine
•     One 1 MW solar furnace
•     One 5 MW central receiver concentrating facility (Themis)

High temperature measurement lab

•     Black bodies up to 3000K
•     Pyrometers and IR camera
•     Reflectometer
•     Spectroradiometer

Solar receivers

•     Mock-ups of pressurized air solar receivers
•     Porous ceramic volumetric receivers
•     Tube receivers

In Perpignan
Solar collectors
Various technologies of collectors are available for testing (flat plate, vaccum tubes, air heating). The laboratory is also equipped with an industrial bench for testing of solar collector according to European standard EN12975. 

Solar conversion
Solar heating solar water system with stratified storage tank

Two prototypes of solar cooling are in operation (Silicagel/Water, 7,5 kW and BaCl2/ammonia, 5 kW), both including PCM heat and/or cold storage.