Heliatek GmbH of Dresden, Germany, a manufacture of solar films, has signed a joint development agreement with AGC Glass Europe, European branch of AGC (a large producer of flat glass), already active in traditional BIPV. The agreement is focused on researching and developing the solar films integrated with glass for the glass envelope of buildings. The company asserts that the development will enable the entire glass façades of buildings, including windows, to become highly efficient, cost-effective, solar energy harvesters with a discrete, aesthetically-pleasing, visual appearance.
Heliatek says that their solar films are ideally suited to this application because they can be opaque or semi-transparent in a variety of colors. The company claims that they harvest the sun’s energy at peak efficiency for longer daytime periods than traditional solar technologies. In addition, Heliatek says that they can operate efficiently in any orientation, even when only receiving indirect or diffused light. Finally, the company says that their performance remains stable up to 80°C. itvoice
Thibaud Le Séguillon, CEO of Heliatek, explained, “Once developed, this will open up all vertical glass surfaces for PV. They offer a much larger installation area than roof tops that are the focus of solar building installations, plus there are no additional installations costs unlike conventional PV panels.
Marc Van Den Neste, CTO of AGC Glass Europe, added, “I am confident that this solution will open up new prospects for creativity and energy efficiency to architects and designers.
