SOLAR.shell Transfer

In Germany, the share of renewable energy in the electricity supply is rising steadily. The German government plans to increase the share of renewable energy to at least 50% of gross electricity consumption by 2030. In addition, since 2021, Germany has had the ‘low-energy building’ standard for all new constructions, which, in addition to high overall energy efficiency, requires alternative energy generation within or near the building. This presents significant potential for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). However, standard PV modules currently available on the market offer little flexibility in terms of shape, colour and scale to meet individual site and design requirements. There is a lack of high-quality, façade- and component-integrated solutions to increase acceptance. Buildings of the future will be energy suppliers in which renewable energy generators are implemented as a high-quality part of the building structure.

The SOLARshell-Transfer project investigates and tests the market-oriented design and technical implementation of the results from the predecessor project SOLARshell in practice. Small-scale PV modules, which can be flexibly integrated into façades on a scale-dependent basis, are optimally oriented towards the sun during the design process using parametric-generative computer calculations based on the façade plane, taking into account compass direction and shading. This can increase the yield per square metre of PV surface area by up to 55% compared to flat-mounted modules.

A prototype façade of approx. 300 m² is being installed on a new commercial building, and a test demonstrator of approx. 20 m² is being erected on the manufacturer’s exhibition and test site. The installation, mounting and wiring of the PV modules are being researched in various configurations and tested through component trials. The certification process, including third-party supervision, is being undertaken, and the facades will ultimately be evaluated via a monitoring system.