Colored facade solar panels with 13.8% 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.
Solar facade for 3D-printed concrete house
Taiwan-based Heliartec has deployed a solar facade on a 3D-printed concrete house in Belgium. It said it installed the solar facade with the “circular construction” philosophy in mind.
Ever heard of photovoltatronics, the new frontier of solar in urban environments?
Scientists in the Netherlands are planning to build intelligent PV devices for energy and information applications. Their intention is to make this approach a new field of PV research, whose ultimate goal is enabling solar cells to communicate with each other and with other devices, ensuring that all the generated energy ends up exactly where it’s needed, especially in the urban environment.
BIPV module with novel encapsulation design
Researchers at the University of Malaga say they have developed a panel for building-integrated photovoltaics that improves light absorption without losing efficiency and durability.
New solar window tech from Australian startup
Australia’s ClearVue wants to push ahead with the development of its transparent solar glass technology. Construction is now beginning on a commercial-scale trial project.
PPA for PV facade in Germany
A 50 kW PV system is being built on the facade of a radiology center near Marburg’s main train station. The Marburg municipal utilities and the Sonneninitiative association have concluded a PPA that ensures the long-term financing of the project.
France to support BIPV solar tiles with additional incentives
Barbara Pompili, the French minister of ecological transition, recently announced new bonus incentives for BIPV projects during a visit to a Sunstyle factory that aims to produce 1 GW of “Made in France” solar tiles by 2025.
Assessing potential of facade PV modules
A new building at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) is being covered with facade CGIS solar panels provided by German manufacturer Avancis. A research team will analyze their performance and special features, including new sensors for incident radiation and heat.
CdTe facade solar panel with 18.2% efficiency
New cadmium telluride solar panels are now available for applications on tall buildings in urban environments. Their efficiency ranges from 15.3% to 18.2%, with 110 W to 450 W of power output.
Solar tile with passive cooling
Researchers built the device by attaching 17%-efficient monocrystalline PV cells to a mortar roof tile that was doped with a phase-change material (PCM). The PCM solar tile provided 4.1% more power than the PV tile with no cooling agent in the winter, and 2.2% to 4.3% more during the summer.
