NaREC
Encyclopedia
Narec is a UK centre for renewable energy
and low carbon technologies. The centre develops prototypes, tests renewable devices to international standards, and is involved in installing low carbon technologies. It is very similar to other centres, such as NREL in the US and National Centre for Renewable Energies (CENER)
in Spain. Narec is based in Blyth, Northumberland
.
, the North East Regional Development Agency
, as part of the Strategy for Success programme.. In 2010 the organisation changed its name to Narec (National Renewable Energy Centre) .
Technology Centre (PVTC). The majority of research is based around laser grooved silicon
cells and concentrator photovoltaics
, with additional work on coloured photovoltaic cells.
Published papers on photovoltaics include:
Also, Narec carry out a large amount of feasibility studies on photovoltaics for various customers.
Laboratory the organisation was involved in high voltage
testing. Work involved carrying out comprehensive testing and analysis services for transmission network operators, distribution network operators and manufacturers of electrical power equipment and accessories. Customers included National Grid plc
. Although Clothier is now closed some of these capabilities are now based in Blyth.
, solar thermal
and air source heat pumps
systems.. Narec is a cluster partner of the North East England hub for the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies.
Also, Narec have now started carrying out training for offshore wind
technicians.
Narec are part of a project looking at low carbon solutions for cargo ship
s known as Inomanship.
. New marine testing facilities are currently under construction.
, and in 2010 accredited Evoco's 10kW system.
and Narec collaborating to design a new methodology to test heat pumps.
.
s. The organisation is currently building new offshore wind testing facilities..
Electrical Testing Laboratory was opened in 1970 by A. Reyrolle & Company
. Narec took over the facility in 2004. The reason it was of interest to the renewable energy organisation was to use it to test the robustness of electrical infrastructure offshore locations to onshore sites, as well as to big load centres in the centre of the UK.
Although one of the only high voltage testing facilities in the world, and completely unique in the UK, the facility was closed by Narec in 2011 due to a lack of government funding.
These are:
ASPIS - A project based on a novel Parallactic Tracking technology concept that supports flat, fixed solar panels with internal concentration and dynamic suntracking .
APOLLON - A project to develop High Concentration Point Focus and Dense Array Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems based on monolithic and discrete multijunction technology with a final target cost of 2 €/Wp .
20plus - A project for the development of extra thin silicon solar cells .
Tidal Turbine Test Facility, Located in Stockton, was opened in 2007. Narec claimed to be the only independent large scale tidal testing facility for device prototypes in Europe.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and low carbon technologies. The centre develops prototypes, tests renewable devices to international standards, and is involved in installing low carbon technologies. It is very similar to other centres, such as NREL in the US and National Centre for Renewable Energies (CENER)
National Centre for Renewable Energies (CENER)
CENER is a Spanish centre for renewable energy and low carbon technologies. The centre develops prototypes, tests renewable devices to international standards, and is involved in installing low carbon technologies...
in Spain. Narec is based in Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
History
Originally known as NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Centre), the centre was created in 2002 by One NorthEastOne NorthEast
One North East is the regional development agency for the North East England region.-History:It was established in April 1999. The North East receives a lot of government aid for regeneration....
, the North East Regional Development Agency
Regional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
, as part of the Strategy for Success programme.. In 2010 the organisation changed its name to Narec (National Renewable Energy Centre) .
Photovoltaics
Narec carry out a large amount of research using their PhotovoltaicPhotovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
Technology Centre (PVTC). The majority of research is based around laser grooved silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
cells and concentrator photovoltaics
Concentrated photovoltaics
Concentrated photovoltaic technology uses optics such as lenses to concentrate a large amount of sunlight onto a small area of solar photovoltaic materials to generate electricity...
, with additional work on coloured photovoltaic cells.
Published papers on photovoltaics include:
- LGBC Silicon Solar Cell with modified bus bar suitable for high volume wire bonding
- Process and device modelling for enhancement of silicon solar cell efficiency.
- Study on laser parameters for silicon solar cells with LCP selective emitters.
- Combining Laser Chemical Processing and Aerosol Jet Printing: an industrially relevant high efficiency front side for silicon solar cells.
Also, Narec carry out a large amount of feasibility studies on photovoltaics for various customers.
Electrical Networks
In Narec's ClothierHenry William Clothier
Henry William Clothier was a British electrical engineer and inventor.Clothier was born in London, England and served his apprenticeship with Messrs J. & H. Gwynne of Hammersmith. After leaving Gwynnes he joined Dr Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti and Mr C P Sparks, first in London, and then in...
Laboratory the organisation was involved in high voltage
High voltage
The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements...
testing. Work involved carrying out comprehensive testing and analysis services for transmission network operators, distribution network operators and manufacturers of electrical power equipment and accessories. Customers included National Grid plc
National Grid plc
National Grid plc is a multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States and it is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.National Grid is listed on...
. Although Clothier is now closed some of these capabilities are now based in Blyth.
Energy Strategies
Narec work with local authorities to design and carry out energy strategies. They have also released tools, such as the Microrenewables Toolkit, which can be downloaded from the company's website.Training
Narec run accredited installer and designer courses for photovoltaicsPhotovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
, solar thermal
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
and air source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps
An air source heat pump is a heating and cooling system that uses outside air as its heat source and heat sink. Under the principles of vapor compression refrigeration, an ASHP uses a refrigerant system involving a compressor and a condenser to absorb heat at one place and release it at another.In...
systems.. Narec is a cluster partner of the North East England hub for the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies.
Also, Narec have now started carrying out training for offshore wind
Offshore wind power
Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher....
technicians.
Low Carbon Transport
Narec have been involved in the North East Plugged in Places project, which has resulted in a large number of electric vehicle charging posts being installed in North East England. Additionally, Narec has been trialling the CUE-V electric car.Narec are part of a project looking at low carbon solutions for cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s known as Inomanship.
Marine Renewables
Narec carry out small scale testing of marine renewable devices, such as the wave device Trident and the tidal device EvopodEvopod
Evopod is a unique tidal energy device being developed by a UK-based company Ocean Flow Energy Ltd for generating electricity from tidal streams and ocean currents...
. New marine testing facilities are currently under construction.
Small Scale Wind Testing
Narec carry out testing of small wind turbines, in accordance with IEC 61400-25IEC 61400-25
International standard IEC 61400-25 provides uniform information exchange for monitoring and control of wind power plants...
, and in 2010 accredited Evoco's 10kW system.
Heat Pumps
There is currently a research project with Northumbria UniversityNorthumbria University
Northumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :...
and Narec collaborating to design a new methodology to test heat pumps.
Low Carbon Housing
Narec helped design and worked on the energy strategy of the Reed Street Carbon Negative development of 21 dwellings in South ShieldsSouth Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
Offshore Wind
Finally, Narec are involved in blade testing for wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s. The organisation is currently building new offshore wind testing facilities..
Clothier High Voltage Laboratory
The ClothierHenry William Clothier
Henry William Clothier was a British electrical engineer and inventor.Clothier was born in London, England and served his apprenticeship with Messrs J. & H. Gwynne of Hammersmith. After leaving Gwynnes he joined Dr Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti and Mr C P Sparks, first in London, and then in...
Electrical Testing Laboratory was opened in 1970 by A. Reyrolle & Company
A. Reyrolle & Company
A. Reyrolle & Company was a British engineering firm, which for many years was one of the largest employers on Tyneside.-History:The company was founded by Alphonse Constant Reyrolle, a Frenchman, in 1886 at Fitzroy Square in London to produce scientific instruments. He moved the business to...
. Narec took over the facility in 2004. The reason it was of interest to the renewable energy organisation was to use it to test the robustness of electrical infrastructure offshore locations to onshore sites, as well as to big load centres in the centre of the UK.
Although one of the only high voltage testing facilities in the world, and completely unique in the UK, the facility was closed by Narec in 2011 due to a lack of government funding.
Photovoltaic Technology Centre
Narec's Photovoltaic Technology Centre (PVTC) was created when Narec took over BP Solar's staff and assets . PVTC has taken part in a number of large European Seventh Framework Programme projects.These are:
ASPIS - A project based on a novel Parallactic Tracking technology concept that supports flat, fixed solar panels with internal concentration and dynamic suntracking .
APOLLON - A project to develop High Concentration Point Focus and Dense Array Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems based on monolithic and discrete multijunction technology with a final target cost of 2 €/Wp .
20plus - A project for the development of extra thin silicon solar cells .
Charles Parsons Technology Centre
Built in 2004, this £5m facility contains a low voltage electrical laboratory for the testing of connecting renewable energy systems to the transmission and distribution grid. Some of the equipment and staff from the closed Narec Clothier Electrical Testing Laboratory were moved to this facilityTraining Centre
The Training Centre is a retrofitted 19th Century terraced house. The technologies retroffitted on are; internal insualtion cladding, photovoltaics, solar thermal panel, a heat pump and low energy LED lights. The centre is used to train installers for these technologies .Tidal Testing Facility
The Tees BarrageTees Barrage
The Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change....
Tidal Turbine Test Facility, Located in Stockton, was opened in 2007. Narec claimed to be the only independent large scale tidal testing facility for device prototypes in Europe.
Wave Flume
A simulated wave environment for the testing of prototype wave energy generation devices.Blade Test I
The blade testing facilities at Narec are designed to test wind turbine blades up to 50m in length. Blades are tested using a Compact Resonant Mass (CRM) system. Narec is working on a technique of blade testing known as "Dual Axis".European Funded Research
Narec is involved in a number of European Collaborative Seventh Framework Programme projects, the majority of which are photovoltaic technology based. These are either match funded or 75% funded, with the rest of Narec's finance coming from Narec itself. The projects are:| Short Name | Full Name | Technology | Total European Funding for Whole Consortium |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAB2LINE | From the laboratory to the production Line | photovoltaics | €1.27 million |
| APOLLON | Multi-approach for high efficiency integrated and intelligent concentrating PV modules (systems) | photovoltaics | €9 million |
| 20PLμS | 20 percent efficiency on less than 100 µm thick industrially feasible c-Si solar cells | photovoltaics | €8.26 million |
| MARINET | Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network for Emerging Energy Technologies | Wind, Wave and Tidal | €4.88 million |
| SNAPPER | The development of a novel rare-earth magnet based wave power conversion system - Snapper | Wave | €1.39 million |
| INTESUSAL | Demonstration of integrated and sustainable enclosed raceway and photobioreactor microalgae cultivation with biodiesel production and validation | Algae Biofuels | €5 million |
| HIPRWIND | High Power, high Reliability offshore wind technology | Offshore Wind | €11.02 million |
| INOMANS²HIP | INOvative Energy MANagement System for Cargo SHIP | photovoltaics and wind | €2.18 million |
| ASPIS | Active solar panel initiative | Photovoltaics | €2.88 million |
| Total | €45.88 million | ||
Conferences and Papers
Narec staff have written papers which have appeared in journals and international energy conferences. These are mainly in the subjects of photovoltaics, wind, marine, and electrical infrastructure. A short list of some of these is given below:- “Snapper”. An efficient and compact direct electric power take-off device for wave energy converters.
- Availability and Estimation of Marine Renewable Energy Resources
- Marine Renewables: A Development Route Map for the UK
- Bivariate empirical mode decomposition and its contribution to wind turbine condition monitoring
- Experimental tests of an air-cored PM tubular generator for direct drive wave energy converters
- Fatigue testing of wind turbine blades with computational verification.
- Ensuring Reliability for Offshore Wind - Large Testing Facilities.
- Accelerating Technology Development for Round 3 Offshore Deployment.
- Electrical Network Testing & Simulation: An effective method of testing the fault ride through capabilities of Small Scale Distributed Generation
- Ensuring Reliability for Marine Renewable Drive Train Systems – Nautilus Testing Facilities
- LGBC Silicon Solar Cell with modified bus bar suitable for high volume wire bonding
- Process and device modelling for enhancement of silicon solar cell efficiency
- An intelligent approach to the condition monitoring of large scale wind turbines
- Lightning Arresters and Substation Protection
- Study on laser parameters for silicon solar cells with LCP selective emitters
- Low Cost, 100X point focus silicon concentrator cells made by the LGBC process
- Laser Grooved Buried Contact Concentrator Solar Cells
- Studying the Groove Profiles Produced for Fine Line Screen Printed Front Contacts in Laser Grooved Buried Contact Solar Cells.
- Investigation of cross wafer uniformity of production line produced LGBC concentrator solar cells
- Process Development of Coloured LGBC Solar Cells for BIPV Applications
- Process optimisation for coloured laser grooved buried contact solar cells
- Colour and Shape in Laser Grooved Buried Contact Solar Cells for Applications in the Built Environment
- Fine-Line Screen Printing in Large Area Laser Grooved, Buried Contact Silicon Solar Cells
- Progress of the LAB2LINE Laser Grooved Buried Contact Screen Printed Solar Cells Hybrid p-type Monocrystalline Process
- Development of Laser Fired Contact (LFC) Rear Passivated Laser Groove Buried Contact (LGBC) Solar Cells Using Thin Wafers
- The LAB2LINE laser grooved buried contact screen printed solar cells hybrid p-type monocrystaline process
- Integrated process and device 'TCAD' for enhancement of C-Si solar cell efficiency
- Screen printing in laser grooved buried contact solar cells: The LAB2LINE hybrid processes
- Surface passivation by silicon nitride in Laser Grooved Buried Contact (LGBC) silicon solar cells
- Optimisation of the front contact for low to medium concentrations in LGBC silicon solar cells
- Laser Grooved Buried Contact Solar Cells for Concentration Factors up to 100X
- Device Design and Process Optimisation for LGBC Solar Cells for Use Between 50X and 100X Concentration
- Design and Optimisation of Laser Grooved Buried Contact Solar Cells for Use At Concentration Factors Up To 100X
- Development of Laser Grooved Buried Contact Solar Cells for Use at Concentration Factors up to 100X
- Front contact modelling of monocrystaline silicon laser grooved buried contact solar cells
- Laser Grooved Buried Contact Concentrator Cells
- PC1D modelling of the efficiency of laser grooved buried contact solar cells designed for use at concentration factors up to 100X
- Front Dicing Technique for Pre-isolation of Concentrator Silicon Solar Cells
- Environmental sustainability of concentrator PV systems: Preliminary LCA results of the APOLLON project
- Process development of shape and colour in LGBC solar cells for BIPV applications
- A summary of the Havemor project – Process development of shaped and coloured solar cells for BIPV applications
- Process and device modelling for enhancement of silicon solar cell efficiency
- Technological and Financial Aspects of Laser Grooved Buried Contact Silicon Solar Cell Based Concentrator Systems
- First results on the APOLLON project multi-approach for high efficiency integrated and intelligent concentrating PV modules (systems)