Photovoltaic Collaborative to Advance Multi-climate Performance and Energy Research (PV CAMPER)
Formed in 2018, PV CAMPER is a global consortium of research institutions committed to collaboration and to data-sharing in order to advance photovoltaic (PV) research and expand
solar markets.
To date, PV CAMPER has 14 member institutions and a network of 19 field sites that span both hemispheres and most major climate zones. Each member operates one or more field laboratories and conducts extensive research on multiple PV topics. In addition, members must meet PV CAMPER requirements for instrumentation, data collection and operations and maintenance. The result is a unique international network of leading solar research institutions that generate high-fidelity cross-climate data to advance PV research and development and validate emerging technologies.
Organizational Objectives
The PV CAMPER database is now operational.
Accelerating solar capacity worldwide requires confidence in:
1) the cross-climate performance of emergent, high-efficiency PV technologies
2) the accuracy of irradiance and other sensor measurements needed for yield comparison and simulations
3) the identification of local environmental contributors to long-term reliability
To help meet these challenges, PV CAMPER aims to:
- Foster collaborative research and development in the areas of PV performance validation and reliability
- Provide a global platform for evaluating emerging, high-efficiency PV technologies, and for identifying and quantifying the factors that contribute most to climate specific efficiencies
- Generate best practices with respect to data collection, quantify and reduce measurement uncertainties, and increase the accuracy and global applicability of performance models
- Develop a technical basis for matching new technologies, including novel cell and module types, to their operating environments (spectral sensitivities, irradiance characteristics, temperature range, etc.).
- Support the solar industry by validating new products across a range of climates
Value to the Global Photovoltaic Community
PV CAMPER’s network of research institutions reflects a common goal: the desire to foster and grow a community that can support a robust solar-energy future. Collectively, this organization offers:
- A repository of high-fidelity meteorological and PV performance data from geographically and climatically diverse sites.
- Broad expertise in such areas of PV research as soiling losses, uncertainty drivers such as cloud persistence, moisture, airborne particulates and spectral responsiveness
- Data to support the design and optimization of PV systems for specific operating environments.
Specific Areas of R&D Interest
- Cross-climate module degradation
- Emerging technologies (perovskites)
PV CAMPER has 14 member institutions and a network of 19 field sites that span both hemispheres and most major climate zones.
Resources
- Austria: Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Marcus Rennhofer
- Brazil: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Ricardo Rüther
- Germany: Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Sebastian Dittmann
- Germany: Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP), Ralph Gottschalg
- Germany: HI ERN — Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg, Ian Marius Peters
- Great Britain: Loughborough University, Tom Betts
- India: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Narendra Shiradkar
- Morocco and Ivory Coast: Green Energy Park, Said Elhamaoui
- Norway: Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Mari Ogaard
- Qatar: Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Amir Abdallah
- Singapore and Australia: Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), Thomas Reindl
- South Africa: Nelson Mandela University, Ernest van Dyk
- South Korea: Yeungnam University, Soo-Young Oh, Honorary Member
- USA: Sandia National Laboratories, Laurie Burnham
Membership has two categories: Primary and Secondary. Eligibility criteria for Primary
membership includes an institution’s technical capabilities, international reputation,
geographic location and perceived value to researchers and industry.
Secondary, or associate membership, is an option for 1) research institutions that do not
meet the full eligibility requirements but want to contribute data to a specific research
project(s); and 2) industry members that make direct contributions to PV CAMPER in the
form of equipment and/or funding.
Prospective member institutions in either category must submit a request to the PV
CAMPER Chair and present their case at a PV CAMPER monthly meeting that includes a
detailed overview of their test facilities, characterization, and monitoring and meteorological
equipment. Admission to PV CAMPER is based on a majority vote.
Once admitted, PV CAMPER members must sign a Memorandum-of-Understanding and
agree to transmit irradiance and other data to a central database, adhere to operations and maintenance protocols, participate in collaborative research and development, and attend monthly online meetings and at least one annual face-to face meeting.
1. Figgis, B. W., Braga, M., Oliveira, A. K. V. de, et al. “Energy Multi-Climate Study of Condensation and Soiling of PV Modules.” In: World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), 8th, 2022, [s.l.]. Proceedings […]. 2022.
2. Martins, G. L., Dittmann, S., Rodríguez-Gallegos, C. D., et al. “Energy Contribution of Rear-Side Irradiance for Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules.” In: European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), 38th, 2021, [s.l.]. Proceedings […]. 2021, p. 556–559.
3. Oliveira, A. K. V. de, Braga, M., Oh, S.-Y., et al. “Analysis of Temperature Inertia of PV Modules Using Different Temperature Estimation Models.” In: European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), 38th, 2021, [s.l.]. Proceedings […]. 2021, p. 1269–1274. DOI: 10.4229/EUPVSEC20215CV.2.40.
4. Dittmann, S., Sanches, H., Burnham, L., et al. “Comparative Analysis of Albedo Measurements (Plane-of-Array, Horizontal, Satellite) at Multiple Sites Worldwide.” In: European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), 2020, Lisbon. Proceedings […]. Lisbon, 2020.
5. Braga, M., Oliveira, A. K. V. de, Rüther, R., et al. “Comparative Analysis of Module Temperature Measurements and Estimation Methods for Various Climate Zones Across the Globe.” In: European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), 37th, 2020, Lisbon. Proceedings […]. Lisbon, 2020a.
6. Braga, M., Oliveira, A. K. V. de, Burnham, L., et al. “Occurrence and Impacts of Over-Irradiance Events on Utility-Scale PV Power Plants.” In: International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference (PVSEC), 30th, 2020, Jeju, Republic of Korea. Proceedings […]. Jeju, 2020b, p. 135.
7. Braga, M., Oliveira, A. K. V. de, Burnham, L., et al. “Over-Irradiance Events: Preliminary Results from a Global Study.” In: IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (IEEE PVSC), 47th, 2020, [s.l.]. Proceedings […]. 2020c, 8 p.
8. Braga, M., Oliveira, A. K. V. de, Rüther, R., et al. “PV CAMPER: Colaboração Internacional para Avanços na Pesquisa Multiclimática em Energia Solar Fotovoltaica.” (in Portuguese). In: CBENS, 2020, [s.l.]. Proceedings […]. 2020d.
9. Burnham, L., Dittmann, S., Oh, S.-Y., et al. “PhotoVoltaic Collaborative to Advance Multiclimate Performance and Energy Research (PV CAMPER): A Global Distributed Network of Field Sites Dedicated to Sharing High-Fidelity Data and Addressing Complex Challenges in Solar Research.” In: SPI, 2019, Salt Lake City. Proceedings […]. Salt Lake City, 2019.
10. Dittmann, S., Sanchez, H., Burnham, L., et al. “Comparative Analysis of Albedo Measurements (Plane-of-Array and Horizontal) at Multiple Sites Worldwide.” In: European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), 2019, Marseille. Proceedings […]. Marseille, 2019.
11. Burnham, L. “An International PV Collaborative to Advance Multi-Climate and Performance Research.” Poster. In: PVPMC, 2018, Albuquerque. Proceedings […]. Albuquerque, 2018.
1. EU PVSEC 2025, “It’s Not Just About the Module: PV System Reliability and the Little Things That Matter,” September 23, 2025, Bilbao, Spain.
2. EU PVSEC 2024, “Cross-Climate Reliability Assurance: PV Lab Testing Meets the Real World,” September 27, 2024, Vienna, Austria.
3. EU PVSEC 2023, “Cross-Climate PV Performance and Reliability: Why Global Data Are Critical to a Reliable Solar Future,” September 21, 2023, Lisbon, Portugal.
4. PV Days in Brazil, “Performance Enhancement and Reliability of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plants,” April 28, 2022.
Contact
Dr. Laurie Burnham | Sandia National Laboratories
P.O. Box 5800, MS 0951|Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | 87185-0951
lburnha@sandia.gov | +01 505.845.7354
Sebastian Dittman | Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Bernburger Str. 55 | 06366 Köthen, Germany
sebastian.dittmann@hs-anhalt.de | +49 3496.67.2354