From pv magazine Germany.
The first Horizon solar folding roof product made by DHP Technology has been installed over a parking area in Switzerland.
The 420 kW generation capacity, 4,000 square meter roof covers 152 parking bays at the Jakobsbad-Kronberg cable car in Appenzellerland, in DHP’s home market. The roof required 13 months to install, following 2.5 years in the planning system.
The roof generates power for on-site consumption, including for electric vehicle (EV) charging points.
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Image: SAK
The folding PV roof was manufactured at DHP Technology headquarters in Zizers. A highly automated process assembles the roofs, a company spokesman told pv magazine. The PV system features mono and polycrystalline solar cells and glass-free laminate tech. “The folding sunroof is lightweight because we use glass-free solar module technology,” said the DHP representative. “The installation is simple and is based on the plug-and-play approach.”
The spokesman indicated a product cost of around €2,400 per kilowatt installed, adding up to a little over €1 million for the Jakobsbad-Kronberg system. Aimed chiefly at car parks, where it can add generation capacity in built-up areas, the roof could also be installed in locations such as wastewater treatment plants and logistics bases.
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Now, this is innovation on a different level! is there a video on how it folds and unfolds?
What makes it a “folding roof”? No mention of what that means or what benefits it provides.
Hi Bob,
Good question. Might I direct you to the manufacturer in question for more details?
how does it fold?
It could be that the panels are folded and retracted into a dense stack in the boxes at the two ends in times of strong wind or heavy snow. Benefits would be to utilise the space in a dual use manner to generate solar electricity, and potentially also to allow EV charging.