Integration of photovoltaics in building façades
The SolarEnvelopeCenter research project, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and led by Fraunhofer ISE, aims to revolutionise the use of photovoltaics (PV) on building façades. By developing standardised solutions, the technical and economic implementation of PV elements on building envelopes is to be simplified in order to significantly increase the share of solar energy in energy consumption by 2030.
The German government has set itself the goal of drastically increasing the share of solar energy in energy consumption by 2030, which is only possible by utilising innovative technologies and tapping into new PV potential. A key element of this strategy is the effective utilisation of building façades for photovoltaics. Despite the obvious benefits, the potential of façade PV has so far remained largely untapped, mainly due to the challenges of cost, complexity and aesthetics.
To overcome these hurdles, the Center project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, brings together the expertise of leading industrial companies and research centres. The aim is to develop practicable and cost-efficient standard solutions for the integration of photovoltaic systems into building envelopes. This initiative promises to remove the technical and economic barriers that stand in the way of the widespread use of façade PV.
Successful examples of the integration of PV into building façades, such as the town hall in Freiburg and the OWP 12 office building in Stuttgart, already demonstrate the potential of this technology. These projects demonstrate that PV elements not only contribute to electricity generation, but can also offer other benefits such as sound insulation, weather protection and climate regulation within the buildings.
The centre aims to deliver ground-breaking results within the next two years and plans to publish its findings in the form of a VDI guideline. This should promote the use of building-integrated photovoltaics and make a significant contribution to achieving the German government’s climate targets. The participation of experts from all areas of the solar industry and the construction sector underlines the holistic approach of the project, which aims to accelerate the solarisation of the building envelope and thus take a decisive step towards a more sustainable future.