BIPV modules

Swiss 3S, the Switzerland-based manufacturer, is offering the new half-cell BIPV module in four sizes, ranging from 24 half-cells to 48 half-cells. The rated output is up to 225 W.

Dansk Solenergi, a Danish building-integrated PV specialist, has launched a round, 95 W solar module that works as a PV signboard. Its 35 solar cells, which remain hidden behind an image of Earth, have an efficiency of 18.5%.

The 25-meter building facade building with 120 solar modules uses SolarEdge optimizers to overcome shading from neighboring buildings.

The panels match the look of composite shingles and come in four different shades.

Estonian start-up Roofit.solar recently raised €6.4 million from a group of investors led by Germany’s Baywa r.e. The company will use the funds to commercialize its three BIPV modules with power outputs of 110 to 160 W. All products rely on a 0.5 mm metal back sheet with highly durable pural coating.

Developed by cleantech company Verditek, the flexible module has a 20.1% efficiency and a weight of 4.9kg. It can bend up to 35% using standard 160µ-thick crystalline cells.

The German research institute has proposed a technique based on the surface structure of the wings of the morpho butterfly to produce colored BIPV panels for facades and rooftops. The process is claimed to make it possible to color the modules with an optical effect and not with color pigments, which reduce their efficiency.

Dutch startup Solarix has developed a new line of facade solar panels featuring 13.8% efficiency and output ranging from 110 to 180 W, depending on the module size and color. The panels can be bolted or glued onto aluminum mounting systems applied to facades.