Foldable solar roof from iWorks is validated
Called the Urbanbox, iWorks' flexible photovoltaic solution has received scientific proof from a team at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences that it meets practical requirements. The foldable system is scheduled to go on sale at the end of 2023.
A team of seven engineers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences(ZHAW) has validated the photovoltaic solution of the Liechtenstein company iWorks as part of an Innosuisse project. The foldable Urbanbox are solar module carriers that can be automatically extended and retracted. They were developed for cities and companies. The validation team from the two Institutes of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering(IEFE) and Mechanical Systems(IMES) at the ZHAW School of Engineering was supported by the Swiss Climate Foundation.
The carriers of the photovoltaic modules are retracted into a robust box by a digital control system in extreme weather conditions and extended again in favourable weather. Because this eliminates the need for a massive substructure and the modules are cleaned by a rotating brush as they move in or out of the box, iWorks says this eliminates significant costs compared to permanently installed solar roofs.
“With this milestone, the economic dual use of surfaces in urban areas for solar power generation is foreseeable as early as next year,” Prof. Dr. Franz Baumgartner of IEFE, who also heads the Energy and Environmental Technology course at ZHAW, is quoted as saying in a media release. “This gives companies and municipalities another effective way to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the energy transition.”
The iWorks company, together with the team from the two ZHAW institutes, is now ready to move on to the next phase of the project, the release says. Based on what has been achieved so far, a fully industrialised Urbanbox solution for commercial use is to be realised this year.