Not every industrial roof can host solar panels. Weight restrictions, shading, and complex layouts often leave companies with no option but to continue relying on costly grid electricity. At its manufacturing facility in Differdange, Luxembourg, Corex faced exactly this dilemma: a rooftop that could not tolerate more than 5 kg per square metre of additional load. Yet, with AIKO’s Nebular lightweight module, the company transformed a technical barrier into a sustainability milestone.
Corex produces cores, tubes and edge protectors for customers across Europe, with its energy-intensive manufacturing lines running throughout the day. With installation partner Enerdeal, the company set out to turn its structurally limited rooftop into a clean energy asset.
The solution came in the form of AIKO’s N-Type ABC Nebular modules, weighing only 4.3 kg/m². Paired with an ultralight mounting system of less than 0.7 kg/m², they respected the rooftop’s safety limits, while still enabling a system size of 608 kWp—something no conventional module could have achieved.
Filip Verboven, COO at Enerdeal by EDP, explained: “The weight constraint was a real barrier. With AIKO’s lightweight modules, we could unlock the rooftop without costly reinforcement, showing that solar is possible even when the conditions look impossible.”
Thanks to ABC’s higher efficiency, the installation achieved 15% more capacity compared with glued PV modules. Heat dissipation also proved superior, with a framed mounting method leaving a ventilation gap between roof and module, improving temperature performance (–0.26 % vs –0.38 %). The use of bolted fixation instead of glue enabled Enerdeal to ensure structural integrity and avoid the micro-crack risks often linked to adhesive-based systems.
François Neu, Enerdeal Country Manager for Luxembourg, added: “Our customer wanted a solution that aligned with its environmental vision but also protected long-term reliability. The AIKO modules provided both—more output and a safer, more durable installation.”
What makes the project stand out is the message it sends: that even rooftops with strict technical limits can play their part in the energy transition. With advanced technology and strong local partnerships, barriers can be turned into opportunities. For Corex, this project demonstrates that every square metre of industrial space holds potential for decarbonization—and that such steps, multiplied across Europe, are what bring the vision of a zero-carbon society within reach.
