physics

Isofoton

Isofoton is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Isofoton rather than just read about it. In short: Founded in 1981 Isofoton was a Spanish leading manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules that had its HQ in Málaga and a distribution network present in over 60 countries. It started as a spin-off of the pioneering research programme of the Institute of Solar Energy of the Technical University of Madrid (IES-UPM) in the field of silicon bifacial solar cells, today a mainstream solar cell technology.

Key takeaways

Isofoton belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Isofoton to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Isofoton from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Founded in 1981 Isofoton was a Spanish leading manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules that had its HQ in Málaga and a distribution network present in over 60 countries. It started as a spin-off of the pioneering research programme of the Institute of Solar Energy of the Technical University of Madrid (IES-UPM) in the field of silicon bifacial solar cells, today a mainstream solar cell technology. In fact, it was the very first factory in the world to mass produce, market and install this type of solar cell technology. By 1987 it abandoned manufacturing of bifacials and transitioned to conventional monofacial solar cells, still, it forged ahead successfully and from 2000 to 2005 it ranked among the top 10 PV manufacturers in the world. At its peak, by 2007, Isofoton employed 1142 people, produced 103MW and had an annual turnover of 414 million euros. In 2014 it filed for bankruptcy, as happened with almost all of the European and US PV manufacturers operating at the time, mainly due to the price pressure of a new wave of Chinese manufacturers.

History Isofoton was founded in 1981 as a spin-off of a university research project on the development of bifacial solar cells led by Professor Antonio Luque, director of the Institute of Solar Energy of the Technical University of Madrid. This research project had started around 1975 and had investigated, patented and produced different bifacial solar cell architectures. The best performing of these, an npp+ structure, was selected for industrial production in Isofoton, to commercially exploit their enhanced power production when suitably installed with high albedo surfaces behind, whether ground or walls. it was named Isofoton because its cells singularly used all isotropic photons and was established in Málaga, Luque's hometown. Its initial capital came from family and friends (e.g. most of the employees and research staff of the Institute of Solar Energy) plus some money from Technical University of Madrid, that was used to buy equipment, and public capital from an industrial development fund, Sodean (Sociedad para el Desarrollo Energético de Andalucía) from the regional government of Andalusia. It set sail with 45 private shareholders, Luque acting as 1st chairman and also co-CEO, together with his brother Alberto, a seasoned industrial entrepreneur, and having his former doctoral student, Javier Eguren, as CTO. Eguren and Gabriel Sala led the technology transfer from the Institute of Solar Energy to Isofoton. By 1983 Isofoton's factory in Málaga had a manufacturing capacity of 330 kW/yr. of bifacial modules (with a 15 people net headcount) at a time when the global market of photovoltaics was in the range of 15 MW. In 1985, Abengoa and BBVA enter as new shareholders of Isofoton, with Luque remaining as chairman but appointing Abengoa's Francisco Llorente as CEO. At that time, the market of terrestrial photovoltaic power plants, to which Isofoton oriented its production, essentially consisted of demonstration projects. Thus, early landmarks of Isofoton's bifacial solar cell production were the 20kWp power plant in San Agustín de Guadalix, built in 1986 for Iberdrola, and an off-grid installation completed by 1988 also of 20kWp in the village of Noto Gouye Diama (Senegal) funded by the Spanish international aid and cooperation programs. In 1987 Alcatel-Standard Eléctrica, the Spanish subsidiary of the French group Alcatel after having acquired the Spanish manufacturer of telephone equipment Standard Eléctrica, joins as controlling shareholder. Upon Alcatel's entry the decision was taken to switch production to more conventional monofacial photovoltaic cells, based on licensed technology from US PV manufacturer Arco Solar. Alcatel's Jesús Martinez Atienza is appointed CEO. In 1991 Luque is replaced as chairman by Valeriano Ruiz and José Luis Manzano becomes the new CEO. In 1997 the Bergé Group, a Spanish leading automotive distributor, buys Isofotón and Rafael Sainz becomes its new chairman with Manzano remaining as CEO. It forged ahead successfully and from 2000 to 2005 Isofoton ranked among the world's top 10 photovoltaic manufacturers. Propelled by the German and Spanish feed in tariff markets and complemented by its traditional commitment to rural electrification projects mostly in the Third World, by 2007 Isofoton employed 1142 people, produced 103MW and registered an annual turnover of 414 million euros. In July 2007 the Alba Corporation, property of the March Group, bought 26%, of the company with the intention of issuing an IPO. In February 2008, Carlos Torres Vila replaced Jose Luis Manzano as CEO. However, the IPO was finally not launched and in July of the same year, the Bergé Group bought back Alba's 26%. In July 2010 Isofoton was acquired by the Spanish Affirma Group (80% ownership) and Toptec (20% ownership), a South Korean company specialized in industrial automation. Affirma's owner, Angel Luis Serrano became its new chairman. Isofoton began to struggle mostly due to the price pressure being set by the new wave of Chinese PV manufacturers that had come of age. This was happening to most European, US and Japanese PV manufacturers that would gradually file for bankruptcy or leave the business in the course of this decade; by 2019 there was only one non-Chinese company among the top 10. In 2013 the company was investigated for inappropriate spending of recent public subsidies and approached bankruptcy, finally closing down its facilities in January 2014.

Factory

Isofoton started its manufacturing in an industrial warehouse at the Industrial State Santa Teresa, property of Antonio Luque's family, in the outskirts of Málaga. There it would gradually scale its manufacturing capacity up to 50MW/yr distributed over a total 4120m2 surface. In 2006, at the cusp of its progress, it moved its facilities to a newly built factory building at the Andalusia Technology Park, also in Málaga, that was inaugurated by King Juan Carlos I. This one had more than 28000m2 and was planned for a maximum capacity of 200MW/yr. It contained 84kW of building integrated photovoltaics, most of it in glass-glass PV glazings covering its outer walls.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Isofoton

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Isofoton claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Isofoton before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Isofoton ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Isofoton

In research: Isofoton appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Isofoton in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Isofoton is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Companies of Andalusia, Renewable energy technology companies, Spanish brands, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Isofoton outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Isofoton in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Isofoton means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Isofoton out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Isofoton in simple terms?

Why does Isofoton matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Isofoton?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Isofoton.