Research and demonstration activities in photovoltaics in Israel

✍ Scribed by H.A. Arbib; David Cahen; Michael A. Wolff

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Weight: 892 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-6787(89)90067-7

✦ Synopsis

Israel's program in photovoltaic research, development and demonstration is described. The description includes government policy in this area, as expressed by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and an historical summary, based mainly on the long-standing involvement of the National Council for Research and Development. There is also an overview of funding sources, and there are short summaries of a number of past and ongoing research and demonstration projects, including the new national centre for testing solar electricity generating systems, at Sde-Boker in the Negev.

1. Israel's program in photovoltaics: past and present

Traditionally, the main thrust in Israeli solar research, development and application has been in the solar thermal area rather than in photovoltaics (PV). With respect to PV research and development, the long-standing attitude of the government (and of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) which since its establishment in 1977 has expressed government policies) has been that Israel cannot compete with the huge investments made in PV research and development by the major industrialized countries. Therefore, very small sums (a few tens of thousands of dollars per year) were invested in PV research, and these mainly through local and binational research foundations, sometimes with matching funds from them.