Sunovation News - Sunovation: Building Integrated Photovoltaics

Solar Decathlon Europe (SDE 21/22)

SUNOVATION supplies solar facade & solar roof for Team MIMO from Düsseldorf

Elsenfeld, March 2022 - In June 2022, the final of the Solar Decathlon Europe 21/22 (SDE 21/22) will take place in Wuppertal. 18 teams from eleven countries are taking up the challenge of improving tomorrow's housing and living. The renowned university competition is about renovation and redensification designs for future climate-neutral neighborhoods. SUNOVATION supports the Düsseldorf team MIMO with glass-glass modules eFORM clear for their building-integrated solar facade and solar roofing.

New generation of colored solar modules for building integration

"ColorQuant" collection with maximum PV performance

BIPV-Farben - SUNOVATION eFORM unichrome Kollektion ColorQuant_Farbige Solarmodule mit maximaler PV-Leistung

Elsenfeld, February 2022 – SUNOVATION, german manufacturer of BIPV modules is expanding the range of colored photovoltaic modules for building integration with the new "ColorQuant" color collection.

In cooperation with a renowned color manufacturer, SUNOVATION has developed a new type of color coating for solar glass modules. The result is a collection of colored glass-glass modules available exclusively from SUNOVATION, which impresses with its aesthetics and high PV performance. Innovative pigments ensure rich color coverage with high transparency for optimized absorption of light on the solar cell. The "ColorQuant" color collection consists of 15 exclusive color shades with color-dependent PV outputs of 140-180 Wp/m².

Through a combination of "optimizing PV performance" and "minimizing power losses through coloring", SUNOVATION masters the balancing act between module optics and module performance with this new color collection: coloring of photovoltaic modules inevitably leads to a certain reduction in PV performance. The challenge in the development and production of colored solar modules is to minimize this undesirable influence. SUNOVATION eFORM unichrome glass-glass-modules are configured individually according to customer requirements. A special manufacturing process (SCET - Sunovation Cell Embedding Technology) enables the production of precisely fitting modules with individual glass structures. The use of high-performance crystalline PV cells, integrated diodes and an individually optimized cell layout results in maximum PV-output/m². Combined with a specially developed technology for coloring, the exclusive collection of high-performance colored PV modules for building integration has been created. Based on coloring by interference, the sunlight is split up like in a prism. Light needed to generate energy continues to reach the PV cell through the colored layers, while the wavelengths responsible for the coloring are selectively reflected. The influence of the coloring on the performance of the PV cells is reduced to a minimum by using this technology.

The colored glass-glass modules are used in particular in solar facades. "In the last two years, we have seen a significant increase in demand from architects and building owners for aesthetically pleasing PV-modules that can also make a relevant contribution to energy generation in the building envelope," says Heribert Ley, Managing Director of SUNOVATION. "The "ColorQuant" collection is therefore very well received by our customers. The first facade projects with new color shades are already ordered and will be realized in 2022." Unlike other colored PV modules, the integrated PV cells remain invisible in all weather conditions and retain their colored glass appearance from all viewing angles.

Exclusive 6,000 m² BIPV glass roof by architect Renzo Piano Building Workshops

Opening of the Russian Art Museum GES-2 in Moscow

BIPV-Dach in Moskau mit Sunovation eForm clear

Elsenfeld, December 2021 - On December 4th 2021, the GES-2 House of Culture of the V-A-C Foundation will open in the center of Moscow. The former power station from the early 20th century was restored according to a design by the renowned architect Renzo Piano Building Workshops and transformed into an imposing "cathedral of light" through the use of building-integrated photovoltaics. In the process, the historic appearance of the building was taken up and modernized according to the principles of sustainable architecture.

An exclusive 6,000 m² glass roof made of building-integrated photovoltaics with an output of ~1.2 MWp replaces the original glass roof. Renzo Piano chose semi-transparent glass-glass modules from Sunovation, which were individually manufactured according to his designs. With over 300 different geometries, the glass-glass modules were precisely adapted to the existing historical building structure. The design of the glass-glass modules played a fundamental role alongside the technical specifications. In order to perfectly integrate them into his design of a light-flooded building, Renzo Piano opted for a degree of transparency of ~20% as well as an individual design of the PV cells. Their appearance was refined in shape and color by imprints in shades of gray and white on different glass layers. The realization of this exclusive design was made possible by the special production process of the module manufacturer Sunovation, which offers the greatest variety of individualization options in the field of customized BIPV modules.

Photo: © Michel Denancé

National Geographic Cover "Terra Sustainability Pavilion"

SUNOVATION Project on the cover of National Geographic

Elsenfeld, October 2021 - The Terra Sustainability Pavilion - one of the main attractions of EXPO 2020 Dubai is featured on the October cover of National Geographic. We are delighted with this honor and congratulate Grimshaw Architects and photographer Danny Eid.

Designed by Grimshaw architects, the impressive Terra Sustainability Pavilion and its accompanying eTrees are among the top 3 attractions at EXPO 2020 Dubai 2020. The ~12,600 m² BIPV roof consists of ~5,000 custom-made SUNOVATION eFORM glass-glass modules. These custom-designed, trapezoidal glass-glass modules enabled full occupancy of the circular roof, generating the required amount of energy for LEED certification.

Official Opening of EXPO 2020 Dubai

Main attractions equipped with >13,000 m² of SUNOVATION BIPV modules

Sunovation eForm BIPV Module auf der Expo 2020 in Dubai

Elsenfeld, October 2021 - On October 1st 2021, the World EXPO 2020 Dubai has officially been opened after a one-year delay due to the global Corona pandemic. Two major projects were equipped with SUNOVATION eFORM glass-glass modules: TERRA - Sustainability Pavilion and the official ENOC Filling Station of the Future - together more than 13,000 m² of customized building-integrated photovoltaic modules made in Germany.

TERRA - Sustainability Pavilion: