Novel BIPV material from South Korea

Share

South Korean energy supplier East-West Power is partnering with Seoul-based steel maker Posco on the development of a building exterior material that integrates building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels.

Under the terms of the partnership, Posco will develop and construct the BIPV materials while East-West Power will test the new products under real conditions at several sites.

The BIPV panels used in the new building material would rely on PosMac, a special steel manufactured by Posco, that is being used instead of glass on the panels' backside. This innovation is expected to solve the typical challenges of BIPV applications based on glass-glass modules, creating a strong integration of the modules with a building's structure.

“PosMAC features the highest corrosion resistance of all galvanized steels in the world,” Posco claims. “The coating layer consisting of three elements – magnesium, zinc and aluminum- delivers 5 to 10 times higher corrosion resistance than regular galvanized steel.”

According to the manufacturer, PosMac is particularly suitable for manufacturing electronics and automotive uses, as well as for marine solar panels that are susceptible to severe environmental conditions.

Posco said this new BIPV technology may also be used for applications in agrivoltaics or rooftop PV, without providing further technical details. “PosMAC has proven to be inevitable in building advanced structures which is the backbone of generating sustainable solar energy and bringing agricultural advancement,” the company said in a statement issued in 2018.

 

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.

Popular content

U.S. startup offers meter socket adapter that simplifies solar, battery, EV charging connection
04 December 2024 ConnectDER has secured $35 million in Series D funding to support its meter socket adapter (MSA) business, which integrates solar, storage, EV chargin...