06 Mar SFERA-III: Call for FREE Access to SFERA-III Research Infrastructures
| This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823802. | ||
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Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) power is a very promising renewable energy resource. So far, the best known application is electricity generation in bulk thermodynamic cycles, but other applications have also been demonstrated, such as production of hydrogen and solar fuels, water treatment and research in advanced materials. Europe is a leader in research and development of this technology. In line with this development, the European Union is promoting the opening of key Research Infrastructures (RIs) in solar concentrating systems (solar concentrators and relating research infrastructures) for both academia and industries for carrying out energy and materials research as well as research in other fields using the extreme temperature conditions in solar concentrators.
In this context the ‘Solar Facilities for the European Research Area Third Phase (SFERA-III)’ Project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (H2020-INFRAIA-2018-1), intends to engage all major European advanced solar laboratories, with relevant and recognized activities in the CST technology field, into an integrated structure that could successfully provide access to high-quality RIs and services to European and non-European researchers from academy and industry to conduct first-class experimental research focusing on CST and CST-related activities but also other high temperature and high flux applications for research and industry, free of charge to Users. Furthermore, SFERA-III integrates two research infrastructures located in two neighbouring countries, i.e. Turkey and Switzerland, which complement the services offered by the European RIs.
SFERA-III is providing access to fifteen (15) state-of-the-art CST Research Infrastructures, unique in the world, and a total of forty-seven (47) installations. Please visit the SFERA-III Single Entry Point (SEP) at https://sfera3.sollab.eu/. There you will find all the basic information you need, like the access conditions, and the description of the Research Infrastructures, section where you can find further information on the technologies, as well as services available, and the overall list of installations offered for access by each Research Infrastructure. In this website, the ‘SFERA-III Application Form (SAF)’ can be found and the ‘SFERA-III USER Proposal template’ can also be downloaded to complete your Application.
The deadline for submitting applications for access is 5 April 2019.
SFERA-III TA Coordinator