Open Solar Photovoltaic Systems Optimization

International audienceEighteen organizations have formed a partnership to produce the Open Solar Outdoors Test Field (OSOTF), which has been designed to provide critical data and research on solar pho-tovoltaic (PV) systems optimization in the public domain. Unlike many other projects, the OSOTF is organized under open source principles. All data and analysis, when completed, will be made freely available to the entire photovoltaic community and the general public. This paper documents how teamwork between educational institutions and industry has resulted in one of the largest systems in the world for this detailed level of analysis of PV systems performance in real-world conditions. The challenges to this approach will be addressed and appropriate models for garnering industrial teamwork will be discussed. Conclusions will be drawn about how to scale other opportunities for the sharing of data to assist in improved optimization of socially beneficial appropriate technologies