Public research
CEA/LITEN (Grenoble) - www.cea.fr
In its role of supporting French efforts to diversify energy sources, the CEA has become an important research and development center in the fields of hydrogen and fuel cells (mostly for transport), as well as in photovoltaic solar energy and energy management for buildings. More than 250 scientists are involved in the R&D programs of the New Energies and Nano-materials Innovations Laboratory (LITEN).
CEA Liten is actively involved in all aspects of the solar photovoltaic field, including cells, modules and systems and energy storage. Its objectives are to improve the conversion of light to energy, reduce the manufacturing costs of photovoltaic cells, reduce storage costs, optimize the management of complete systems and integrate photovoltaic energy into energy systems.
CSTB - Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment - (Grenoble – Isère) - www.cstb.fr
66 employees with activities centred round acoustics, sustainable development and materials, especially for building envelopes. CSTB is involved in a number of projects for the renovation of buildings, to which it applies a global and transversal approach.
EPM – CNRS / INPG (Saint-Martin d’Hères – Isère) - www.epm.cnrs.fr
50 employees, including 3 CNRS scientists
Budget: €2.5 million per annum
Over the last four years: 15 patents and one company start up (EMIX)
The EPM field is very important to the development of energy production processes, whether they involve solar energy, nuclear fusion or the next generation of molten salt nuclear reactors. The continuous pouring of silicon for solar energy, the purification of metallurgical silicon, the crystallization of silicon, and the recycling and processing of waste from the photovoltaic sector are all applications aimed at reducing environmental impact or at developing processes that reduce direct and indirect energy costs.
LASH - Habitat Sciences Laboratory – ENTPE / CNRS - http://www.entpe.fr/
Integral part of the Civil Engineering and Building Department (URA CNRS 1652), on the site of the State-run National School of Public Works
CEBD staff: 75 employees including 25 teaching/research staff .
LASH trains 40 engineers in the field of energetics and buildings every year. Research focuses on integrating solar energy into buildings, photovoltaics, the development of low environmental impact materials, etc ... LASH also houses the European solar radiation and daylight database: www.satel-light.com .
LMOPS – Organic Materials with Specific Properties Laboratory - www.univ-savoie.fr/labos/lmops
40 employees including 16 permanent teaching/research staff
Fields of application include: micro- and nano-electronics, optoelectronics, synthesis and production of polymers and organic molecules with specific properties (energy sector, fuel cells, liquid crystal displays, organic photovoltaics, gaseous permeability properties).
LOCIE Design Optimization and Environmental Engineering Laboratory - www.locie.univ-savoie.fr
70 employees including 30 teaching/research staff
LOCIE takes a multidisciplinary approach to both fundamental and applied research in fields at the crossroads between energetics, process engineering and mechanical engineering. This work comes under the heading of “eco-technologies”, that is to say, studying the different aspects of processes that have to be addressed in order to move towards a sustainable development economy.
LOCIE is divided into three teams:
- Improvement of Environmental Quality (AQE);
- Material Behavior and Optimization of Structures (CMOS);
- Sustainable Energy Development (DENED).
