Traditionally relegated to roofs, photovoltaic (PV) panels tend to have a uniform appearance: large black or dark blue rectangular pieces of shiny glass with metal frames. Partly because dark colors better harvest sunlight to be turned into electricity, but also because silicon –the primary material used in most high-efficiency photovoltaic panels– tends to be dark in its crystalline form. Fortunately, there are now technologies to control luster, color and finish that provide aesthetic variety while maintaining high efficiency. SolarLab and other manufacturers are redefining conventional solar panels, introducing design flexibility and material qualities that allow architects to take advantage of large facade surfaces to generate renewable energy without compromising architecturally.
Transforming Solar Aesthetics and Broadening Architectural Horizons
Previously confined to roofs or large open spaces, electricity generation can now transcend conventional boundaries and has become an integral and multi-functional building component in architectural projects. Emphasizing the fusion of aesthetic appeal, functional benefits and sustainable energy production, SolarLab's solutions challenge traditional architectural norms.
In addition to traditional BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics), facade solutions can incorporate elements such as fireproofing, insulation, and all electrical and cladding components, ensuring a successful result with simplified installation. The real innovation lies in the design freedom offered: customized solar panels are no longer limited to standard shapes or sizes, ranging from 360 mm to 3600 mm wide, adapting easily to any architectural structure. They can adopt the following typologies:
Rain Screen: Recognized as one of the best ways to increase durability and reduce operating costs, this facade protects the underlying structure from the elements, such as rain, wind, etc. In addition, the ventilation layer helps to reduce the building's thermal load, while generating free and sustainable electricity. The ventilated solar facade allows for quick and easy installation, inspection, and reuse, both in new buildings and renovations.
Curtain Wall: In this case, the solar panel systems are fully integrated into the building envelope and replace spandrel, mullions, transoms, or vision glass panels. The durable tempered glass surface, which is an integral part of the water and air resistance of the building's exterior, provides low-maintenance cladding with a minimal environmental footprint, while invisibly producing electricity on site.
Louvers: Also known as brise soleil, they horizontally or vertically combine solar protection and energy production by mounting fins on the building's facade, making it a key architectural element.
Ready-made and customized systems with a wide range of exclusive finishes discreetly and efficiently integrate high-performance photovoltaics in full compliance with local codes and requirements.
Flexibility and Design Freedom
The flexibility of these panels goes beyond their varied dimensions, and also covers a spectrum of finishes and coatings. The product palette offers a variety of options, from classic black crystal to iridescent metallic finishes, variegated colors, and coatings that resemble ceramic tiles. The introduction of deep-framed glass with three-dimensional patterns adds visual dynamism, playing with shadows and reflections, and the ability to adjust the panels, allowing for independent angles or displacements, gives architects the creative license to produce fascinating visual effects.
At the Copenhagen International School, for example, a dynamic solar rain screen made up of 12,000 individually inclined panels (but identical in size and appearance) is a highlight. The school's facade, bathed in a blue-green hue, interacts harmoniously with the sunlight and its surroundings. Not only has it become a Passive House-certified sustainable powerhouse, but it also stands out as an architectural marvel, exuding fun and contributing aesthetically to the community. The color was chosen to interact harmoniously and playfully with the sun and the reflections of the sea and sky, and the random inclination of the panels was designed to take advantage of the iridescent equality of the cladding to make the 28,000 m² school less dominant and large – and therefore more suitable for children. Even on a gray winter's day, it produces carbon-free electricity and contributes aesthetically to a lively campus.
Another iconic project is The Student Experience International, located in Amsterdam, with over 3,000 square meters of solar panels covering the entire building envelope and providing much of the building's energy. This allows the roofs to be used for social activities and green areas. Although it may initially seem that the solar panels are made of different colored glass, the variations are actually created by the incidence of light and the angle from which they are seen, resulting in a dynamic facade that looks significantly different at midday and sunset. The anisotropic coating changes the reflected color from dark blue-grey to silver-grey as the sun moves, providing a constantly changing range of shades that never fade.
Among several other case studies, the company's vision is that cities can be adorned with energy-producing buildings on their facades, where sustainability is seamlessly interwoven with architectural excellence, promising a brighter, greener future for urban landscapes around the world.
The journey to realizing this vision involves collaboration, innovation and a commitment to sustainable progress. That is why SolarLab invites architects and developers to explore its free simulations, design guides and CAD tools, with the aim of encouraging the integration of customized solar facades into as many projects as possible.
