ACCESS TO THE “PLATAFORMA SOLAR DE ALMERÍA”
Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure
FOR SOLAR THERMAL AND PHOTOCHEMICAL APPLICATIONS
The Plataforma Solar de Almería, recognized as a Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS - Infraestructura Científica y Técnica Singular), comprises state-of-the-art facilities offered as a service to the entire national and international scientific and technological community.
Consequently, domestic and international researchers can access the various PSA facilities through the modalities detailed below.
The PSA has cultivated extensive expertise in facility access activities since 1990, participating almost uninterruptedly in various access programs for large-scale scientific facilities sponsored by the European Commission, as well as in the Subprograms for the Design, Feasibility, Access, and Enhancement of Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures since 2006.
Two access modalities are established:
1. Competitive Open Access (AAC):
Functioning as a competitive selection process, access proposals are evaluated and ranked by an external Access Committee. This classification is strictly based on the scientific excellence and technical robustness of the proposal, ensuring an open and transparent procedure.
A mandate is set to allocate a minimum of 20% of the annual access capacity for each of the PSA facilities through this competitive access mechanism.
IMPORTANT: Competitive access entails specific benefits for users granted entry under this modality. These include the total (or partial) waiver of user fees for the services provided by the infrastructure, exemption from the drafting and formal approval of a bilateral agreement between PSA-CIEMAT and the requesting entity, alongside other potential provisions to be determined.
2. On-Demand Access (ABD):
The ABD modality requires the drafting and formal approval of a bilateral agreement between PSA-CIEMAT and the requesting research institution or corporate entity, and is subject to established usage fees. Prospective users may directly contact the PSA Directorate to submit their proposal; should the Directorate deem it viable and aligned with institutional objectives, the administrative procedure to formalize the agreement will be initiated.