GRECO (H2020-787289) aims to enhance the integration of photovoltaic (PV) energy into energy systems by extending the useful lifetime of the installations, making the technology more affordable, demonstrating very competitive applications, and increasing the societal knowledge about the relevance of PV energy on a more sustainable world. To this end, GRECO will carry out its research instead of using old-fashioned methodologies, by means of a rationale pilot on Open Science which will be demonstrated to be easily applied to other Research and Development (R&D) projects.
GRECO faces the specific challenge of putting Open Science into action in a three years research project by investigating six innovative solutions that PV can offer to the society. However, the key of the project is that the research process is being carried out using the fresh and innovative approaches for science that researchers in sociology and humanists have been developing during the last decade. The project operationalizes tools that enable public engagement mechanisms for different research lines. In this way, processes such as user-centered Open Innovation, Citizen Science or Mutual Mobilization and Learning (MML) actions are especially relevant for the development of our products. Also, through Open Science tools such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Education, Open Notebooks, Open Software and Open Peer-Review, GRECO aims to generate a research process more accessible to the rest of world. And, by conscientiously implementing the ethical, gender and governance principles, to guide the execution of the project in its search for socially responsible products.
GRECO tackles the societal challenge related to secure, clean and efficient energy, aiming at generating solutions to allow a higher market integration of renewable PV-energy through a more cost-effective technology. It also considers the societal challenge related to climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials”, by studying integrated approaches for resource-efficiency and process optimisation in the use of PV installations by exploring and defining preventive and repairing methodologies. Solutions will entail the environmentally sustainable recovery and re-use of PV modules supporting the concept of Circular Economy.
Moreover, GRECO actions relate to food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy societal challenge, by providing to the Irrigators Community PV-based solutions for the current challenges in irrigation systems of tillage fields regarding the cost of the electricity.
The proposal has a global vision of Photovoltaics as a worldwide challenge to adopt the 2015 Paris Declaration and to embrace the policy drafted in the Open Science Agenda. From an environmental perspective, the Technical Solutions of GRECO aim at providing a more sustainable use of the natural resources. To this end, the Environmental Impact of our solutions can be measured by a 50% efficiency increase in urban applications. This directly translates in an increased number of people that can receive solar energy.
A Consortium formed by ten European and one Latin American partner aims at demonstrating how any societal challenge project can be operated in a novel and global way. GRECO expects to reach several thousand scientists on different levels. Many of these are likely to be young researchers or students interested in Open Science.
