A fruit and vegetable distribution centre in the south of France is now the site of the world’s largest building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) system, after 97,000 Solaire France Sunstyle PV roofing tiles were installed on the Saint Charles International in Perpignan.
Dow Chemical said it will make the commercial introduction of its Powerhouse solar roofing shingle to U.S. markets this month. The company plans a rolling launch into markets from California to the East Coast that will continue through 2012, starting with the debut program in Colorado in October.
As the 2011 US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar Decathlon readies to officially kick-off its fifth biennial competition, SunPower advised that six of the 19 collegiate teams competing chose the company’s solar panels for their solar homes.
China's first BIPV fire station was put into service in Baoding, Hebei, on July 29, featuring a 250kW, 2650 m2 solar façade. With an annual generating capacity of 300MWh the system is expected to reduce 312 tons of carbon emissions each year.
Japan and cutting-edge technology have long gone hand in hand and therefore it is no surprise that Kyocera’s latest solar innovation, the Eco-Shell, is being launched in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Suntech Power’s Just-Roof building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solution has been approved by French certification body CEIAB (Comité d'Evaluation de l'Intégration au Bâti). CEIAB is France’s official evaluation committee for all BIPV products, and its endorsement sees Just Roof gain eligibility for the country’s highest available feed-in-tariff.
Pythagoras Solar has won the GE ecomagination Challenge for its Photovoltaic Glass Unit (PVGU) window technology. The company fended off competition from nearly 5,000 other entrants to win the award, which recognises the most promising innovations in the field of building-integrated energy technology.
The Tata Steel and Dyesol development partnership has produced the world’s largest dye-sensitized photovoltaic module. Manufactured at Tata Steel’s Shotton site in North Wales, the module is over three metres in length and approximately one square metre in area. This unique achievement represents an important step towards the development of large-scale microgeneration capability within building infrastructure.
Konarka Technologies’ New Bedford, Massachusetts facility now features the world’s first OPV semi-transparent BIPV curtain wall, laminated onto seven of the company’s south and east facing 56”x67” windows. Utilizing its own Power Plastic technology, Konarka was able to incorporate the technology into the building structure, producing the largest OPV installation of its kind.
Odersun has developed a new software tool, which essentially allows a user to design their own solar modules. Aptly named Solarmodule-Designer, the software lets users create solar modules that will fit an individual building project and system. Size, form, build-up and materials can all be customized by the user so that the modules can easily fit into their solar-integrated roofs and façades.
