MATERIALS

MATERIALS: Energy from the facade

Prospectively, not only roof surfaces, but also facades, balconies and canopies can increasingly be used with photovoltaics modules. New building-integrable PV options were researched in the project "PV@Fassade” in which JOANNEUM RESEARCH was significantly involved.

MATERIALS: Energy from the facade

Today’s builders often integrate renewable energies in their construction plans – and cost-effective photovoltaics technology (PV technology) is at the top of the list. Nine Austrian partners from industry and research under the management of the OFI (Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology) developed solutions for complex issues related to building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) within the context of the interdisciplinary project "PV@Fassade". The challenge was to visually coordinate solar cells with the building while affecting the performance of the modules as little as possible, a process that is essential in urban areas, for example in old cities. Among other things, MATERIALS developed coating within the context of the project “PV@Fassade” that refines the modules in regard to visuals and functionality. Different colour variations can be generated by imprinting and coating the covering glass surfaces or solar cells. Numerous coating processes for crystalline silicon solar cells were tested, and various colour samples were produced. The coating technology based on the usage of plasmonic effects is especially interesting and new. Plasmonics describe the reciprocal interaction of light on metallic nanoparticles.