Solar facade – solar wall facade solution for PV modules and mounting systems

Compared to traditional roof-mounted solar panels, a vertical orientation prevents any snow accumulation. Among other things, it was found that the solar gain is increased in winter because the solar modules are aligned more towards the lower sun angle in winter. Reflective snow on the ground has also been found to increase solar energy by up to 50%.

Energy generation through solar facades is part of a solar system made up of fences and walls that have the vertical or vertical orientation of the modules in common.

With solar facades, the industry has another opportunity to expand its own autonomous power supply, see also Amazon Logistics . In addition to solar carports and rooftop solar systems, vertically positioned solar modules on walls and fences are a complementary alternative.

Suitable for:

• Wall/fence systems: solar fence and solar wall for company premises and fenced company areas

Correct planning and selection of the appropriate solar mounting system . Just as solar systems and mounting systems exist in different designs, there are also different types of facades, which not only depend on the type of building (including house, warehouse) and type of construction (including wooden house, brick building, concrete building, lightweight steel hall), but also differ in the construction:

• Lightweight construction: timber construction, lightweight steel construction and drywall construction
• Solid construction: reinforced concrete, lightweight concrete, aerated concrete, brick masonry and sand-lime brick
• Hybrid construction: combination of solid and lightweight construction methods

There is no standard technique for everyone. Every solar wall or facade has its own characteristics. Highlights must be taken into account and attachment with the photovoltaic mounting system does not work the same for everyone. As a rule, special planning and adjustments are necessary for this.

the right façade solar mounting system differs from others in that it leaves a gap between the wall and the modules so that the air can continually circulate and thus cool the modules. Because as the temperature rises, the solar modules generate less electricity.

Whether the installation is worthwhile in any case depends on the size of the area and the orientation of the solar modules. Especially in industry, especially in logistics, there are large, interesting vertical surfaces that are interesting for photovoltaics in addition to a solar roof system.

In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), 68 terawatt hours of solar power were calculated on the approximately eleven million roofs in NRW. The potential of possible solar walls or solar facades was not taken into account. Not every building wall is suitable for photovoltaics. However, if you consider that buildings usually have a larger facade area than roof area, there is possible additional photovoltaic potential of the same magnitude.

For vertically installed solar modules, thin-film PV modules are used more frequently than the usual crystalline solar modules on roofs. When used vertically, thin-film PV modules have comparatively better efficiency thanks to the angle of radiation.

Different cell technologies of solar modules:

• Monocrystalline silicon
• Multicrystalline silicon
• Strip-pulled silicon
• Thin film technologies

Other possible solar facade modules:

• Glass-glass modules have an extremely long service life thanks to the use of glass on the front and back of the solar module.
• Thin film PV solar facade for vertical walls.

Dense-film solar modules are cheaper and more efficient than thin-film modules. However, with thin-film solar modules, architects have much greater freedom of design. For example, rollable solar awnings can be operated using thin-film technology.

It is also interesting that printable photovoltaic modules are also possible.

PV elements and printed images will be attached to the project partner Glassbel's office building in 2015 - Image: © Glassbel | Source: Pressbox

At Via Solis, photovoltaic elements are manufactured in a wide variety of shapes and colors that architects can use to realize their visions. The modules can be square, triangular or round instead of rectangular and can be manufactured in all RAL colors. “Via Solis uses colored, semi-transparent solar glasses that were developed by the innovative glass manufacturer Glassbel and are already used in normal glass facades,” reports Dr. Juras Ulbikas from the Applied Research Institute for Prospective Technologies (ProTech) in Vilnius, who leads the SmartFlex project. “The desired shapes, colors and sizes of the solar elements are transmitted directly to the production line by the architect’s planning software.” ( Source )

“With the help of intuitive planning software, architects should be able to design solar modules that fit their building exactly - the glass module elements can be round or triangular, for example,” explains Paul Grunow, head of the Photovoltaic Institute Berlin. “The special thing is that the production process for the extraordinary solar elements should be largely automated. This is completely new; so far only standard modules have been mass-produced or tailor-made solar products have been painstakingly handcrafted. SmartFlex strives for highly smart and flexible series production that also makes customized solar elements affordable.”

“Solar power can also be generated on the building facade, not just on the roof. Building-integrated photovoltaics has great potential that has not yet been fully exploited,” reports Dr. Juras Ulbikas, head of the research group at the Applied Research Institute for Prospective Technologies (ProTech) in Vilnius, Lithuania, and coordinator of the SmartFlex project. “We are working on a plug & play solution for buildings that is easy to install and meets the needs of architects and installers - an ambitious goal. I am very pleased that we were able to attract very high-caliber partners for this.” In addition to ProTech, the Photovoltaic Institute Berlin and Glassbel, the project partners also include the internationally active mechanical engineering company Mondragon Assembly, the solar system manufacturer Via Solis, the Swiss Competence Center for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (SUPSI ), the planning software developer Creative Amadeo and the agency Sunbeam Communications, which specializes in renewable energies. ( Source )