On the 26th and 27th of March 2024, a PILATUS General Assembly meeting took place in Neuchâtel, organised by CSEM. With important updates from all the work packages it showed that all partners are ready for the second half of the project. Overall, we had a successful gathering and interesting tours through the CSEM and EPFL facilities, including a visit to EPFL’s outdoor test location for the PILATUS PV modules (see picture).
During the tour (for which the PILATUS partners were split up into 2 groups) we also received some history lesson on the PILATUS PV technology: It was in Neuchâtel where the initial research and development on the PILATUS PV technology happened. Also the first “scale up” of small cells to larger cells was performed at CSEM in the cell R&D facilities as can be seen in this picture.
As well, possible applications of PV were shown such as PV modules as roof on a driving vehicle, see picture below.
EPFL showed their facilities as well, including their initial sun simulator setup.
Also a tour at the module research and development facility of CSEM reached by bus from the CSEM main building was done showing the extrusion facilities as well as the testing capabilities. In addition, we had the time to pose for a picture near the lake with far in the background the PILATUS mountain (which our project is named after).
