Reflective coating to reduce solar tile temperatures
Australian scientists have tested different reflective coatings in solar tiles and have found that they could improve the performance of building-integrated PV devices by up to 6.6%. They are currently working with building product manufacturers to bring their tech closer to commercial production.
New solar tiles from Germany
Creaton and Autarq have developed a modular solar tile for complex rooftops. The product is reportedly compatible with all common PV inverters.
Saint-Gobain acquires stakes in Swiss BIPV manufacturer Megasol
Saint-Gobain has acquired a minority stake in Megasol, a Swiss manufacturer of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules.
Envelon opens BIPV solar module factory in Germany
Envelon’s new manufacturing facility will be able to produce up to 300,000 square meters of facade solar modules.
New photovoltaic tiles from Estonia
Estonian startup Solarstone has developed two solar tiles with an efficiency of up to 19.5% and an operating temperature coefficient of -0.41% per C. It recently secured €10 million in funds to expand sales across Europe.
Applying perovskite solar cells onto BIPV steel products
Swansea University will collaborate with Indian multinational Tata Steel to investigate perovskite solar cell materials that could be applied directly onto coated steel to make building-integrated PV components. The partnership will add to an “active buildings” project that the Welsh university has been running for several years.
Solar window generates electricity, thermal energy
A research team in Hong Kong has built a solar window that can generate power on the external side via a luminescent solar concentrator and thermal energy on the internal side via transparent solar absorbers.
CIGS solar tile with 14.9% efficiency
Taiwanese manufacturer Eterbright has developed a CIGS solar tile with power output ranging from 26.5 W to 56 W and a temperature coefficient of -0.34% per C. The product is able to withstand a snow load of 5,400 Pa and a wind load ranging from 1,600 Pa to 2,400 Pa.
Tunable solar cells with customized design capabilities
German scientists have reviewed all solar cell technologies with tuning capabilities and have identified all of their possible applications.
Semitransparent dye-sensitized solar module for BIPV applications
Scientists in Italy have developed a module with an area of 0.2 sm and an efficiency of 2.7% in outdoor conditions, with a tilt angle of 60 C. They designed it by considering the trade-off between low losses and device sturdiness.
