About TwInSolar
TwInSolar (“Improving research and innovation to achieve a massive integration of solar renewables”) is a European research and innovation project, which aims to achieve a massive integration of solar energy and accelerating the energy transition in the island of La Reunion.
Led by the University of La Reunion, the partnership gathers 5 partners, including top European research centers of the field.
With a 1.48 Million euros budget, TwInSolar is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme, and will last three years, from September 2022 to August 2025.
Our objectives
The main objective of the TwInSolar project is to accelerate the energy transition in La Reunion and other insular territories, through the empowerment of the R&I community of La Reunion.
Through twinning activities with top research centers in solar energy, we aim at bridging the research gaps to allow massive solar integration, therefore contributing to accelerate the energy transition in La Reunion
TwInSolar fosters scientific exchanges between the University of La Réunion, which is a reference for tropical climates, insular and remote areas, and DTU and Fraunhofer ISE, both among the world leading research centers in renewable and solar energy.
Through this shared expertise, the project aims at bridging the research gaps to increase the use of solar energy in La Reunion, an Outermost region with geographic and market size limitations.
Research topics include: solar and load forecasting, the design, modelling and sizing of energy systems, energy management, …
We build partnerships and reinforce capacities to increase the participation of the University of La Reunion in Horizon Europe and the ERA on the long term
The projects aims at sharing the best practices and experience of DTU and Fraunhofer ISE in Horizon Europe projects, to reinforce the capacities of the University of La Reunion, facilitating its participation in the European Research Area on the long-term.
Twinning activities and workshops will be organized by Nexa with La Reunion’s stakeholders in solar energy, to facilitate future cooperations, ensuring a large impact of the project.
We aim at capitalizing on the project experience and sharing the improved knowledge on solar energy in tropical climates, insular and remote areas, with other insular territories facing similar challenges
Islands, due to their distance from mainland energy systems, have specific needs and vulnerabilities in terms of energy supply. As non-interconnected zones, they face issues with the integration of a greater share of intermittent renewable energy, while an additional challenge for tropical areas is the durability of the renewable energy installations.
At the same time, La Reunion and islands offer an ideal testing environment for solar energy solutions and present a strong potential to be pioneer in the energy transition. The CPMR Islands Commission will support this dynamic by ensuring the wide dissemination of the best practices and improved knowledge developed in the project, to other European Islands facing similar challenges.
Picture : Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat, 2023