BIPV

Swansea University will lead a consortium of 12 British and Indian universities on a £7 million project to build five solar-powered buildings in remote Indian villages that will be fully self-sufficient.

Property developer Fambau has unveiled a new building in the Swiss capital which includes an installation of 130 Avancis thin-film modules integrated into the building’s southern façade. According to Avancis, the installation takes up 135 square meters, and will generate up to 12 MWh per year.

Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have developed a pair of sunglasses that generate electricity through semi-transparent organic solar cells applied to the lenses. The team aims to demonstrate the potential of organic solar to be integrated into electronic devices, buildings and other applications not possible with conventional PV technologies.

A team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative has developed a flexible, transparent solar cell, using low-cost organic materials and graphene. The researchers say this cell could turn virtually any surface into a source of power generation.

Ferdinand Grapperhaus, CEO of PowerWindow developer Physee, discusses the company’s innovative approach to bringing more solar power into the home and C&I buildings.

A new mixed-use building complex being developed by Somerset Development will feature the installation of more than 3,200 solar skylights, which will generate electricity whilst naturally illuminating the complex.

Joint venture including China National Building Material Company and British renewable energy specialists WElink will see the creation of six prefab home factories over next five years in deal that will deliver huge boost to the U.K.’s BIPV sector.