Today, constructors of new buildings generally try to involve renewable energy. Inexpensive photovoltaic technology, based on crystalline silicon solar cells and characterized by a shiny, blue-black surface, is at the top of the list. Exactly this characteristic feature has ensured that photovoltaic installations are hardly ever used in the Graz city center. The red roofscape of the historic inner city is not only the hallmark of this metropolitan area along the Mur River, but also has won it the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To ensure the future production of renewable energy, however, a team of researchers from Joanneum Research and the Karl Franzens University have developed the project "PV @ Graz". The project, initiated by MATERIALS – the Institute for Surface Technologies and Photonics – together with the Research Centre for Art History at the Karl Franzens University, began in May 2014. It is funded from the Future Fund of the province of Styria. Research is conducted on a new coating technology that should allow the photovoltaic modules inset with crystalline silicon solar cells to perfectly blend into the Graz roofscape. "A trigger for the project was the seventh call for proposals from Green Tech Research on the topic of Intelligent Buildings. In this call, research projects that specifically focused on the development of urban areas with historical structures in the future, such as in Graz, were favored ", explains project manager Mag. Dr. Gerhard Peharz of MATERIALS.
Joanneum Research is developing the coating that will disguise the modules. The coating will then be visually compatible with the red tile roofs, but the performance of the modules will be only slightly decreased. "If we achieve the goal of the project, the chances are good that renewable energy can be produced on a large scale on the roofs of the Graz inner city in the future. We can assume that a large part of the urban household energy requirements can be met" says Peharz optimistically. The initial results are expected in mid-2015.