arsenal research - the Austrian Centre of Research and Testing is an independent public research centre owned by majority by the Republic of Austria. With its about 160 employees in 4 specialised departments arsenal research takes an interdisciplinary approach to projects on energy and traffic.

arsenal research constitutes a competent technological interface between science, industry and government. Our service range extends from applied research and development as well as sophisticated testing and measurement to market-oriented realisation. We provide our customers with quality, flexibility and strict impartiality.

The business unit Renewable Energy Technologies has actually about 20 employees and 5 trainees from universities and has been working in the some fields of Renewable energy technologies for more than 20 years.

Short Description of working fields:

The business Unit Renewable Energy Technologies is focussing on photovoltaics, solar thermal energy and distributed generation of electricity is a further important topic. Market-oriented research activities provide our customers with paramount support for emerging developments. Integration within international networks ensures accessibility to the latest research results.

These activities form an ideal base for our extensive range of services in the fields of education, consulting and certification. Through strategic projects for the effective market introduction of solar energy technologies our profile is complete.

The overall goal of the research center is to promote the market penetration of renewables and to transfer scientific results and experiences to relevant companies and authorities, dissemination activities are part of the daily work at arsenal research.

Financial capacity (concerning the proposed action):

The annual turnover in 2003 was 14,8 Mio €. Part of the budget of arsenal research is reserved for strategic research (to build up new scientific knowledge, or test labs).

Experience in EU - and other international projects:

• In the field of solarthermal energy arsenal research is co-ordinating two EU - INTERREG - projects, one between Vienna and Hungary, the second between Lower Austria and the Czech Republic.
• Responsible for organisation and processing of the “Austrian Certified Solar installer and –planner” course
• NTERREG – project, co-ordinated by arsenal research, between Austria and Hungary is dealing with education for administrative people in Energy and Heat Pumps potentials for Hungary
• arsenal research is contractor in the ALTENER project Solar-Keymark.
• Work Package Leader in the FP6 Project “NEGST – Next Generation of solar thermal systems” Member of the co-ordination group of the national solarthermal energy project “solar:wärme”
• Coordinator and Partner within the EU 5FP project GP.Com, which is dealing with 100 % Renewable Energy supply of communities in Austria and Hungary.
• Organisation of workshops and Conferences also in Hungary and Czech republic (f.e. 1st Austrian Czech Solar Conference, Sept. 2002, Brno in Cooperation with CZ partners)
• In other projects like in the EU 5FP - LSSC - Large Scale Solar Cooling arsenal research is a research partner.
• Principal Contractor in the EU 5FP Thematic Networks PV EC-NET and ENIRDGNet
• tor in the EU 5FP projects DISPOWER, MULTIBAT and DGnet.
• Principal Contractor in the JOULE project ESDEPS: EMC and safety design for Photovoltaic systems (finalised spring 2002)
• Member of the National Consortium in the 5th Framework project Hip–Hip: House Integrated Photovoltaic – High-tech in Public
• Member of the national solar thermal standardisation group
• Actively involved in several other nat. and int. standardisation activities
• National representative in CEN and ISO Standards Committees
• National co-ordinator of the IEA Photovoltaic Power System (PVPS) program, national experts in
  Task 1: Exchange and Dissemination of Information on Photovoltaic Power Systems and
  Task 2: Operational performance and design of Photovoltaic Power Systems and Subsystems