European Union Photovoltaic Curtain Wall

Curtain walls are an increasingly demanded solution for building envelopes in the commercial sector. Despite the recent recession, curtain wall demand in Europe has continued to grow steadily. Office buildings constitute the predominant customer segment for curtain walls, accounting for over 55% of their European market share .

Amorphous Silicon PV Curtain Wall (courtesy of Onyx Solar) Photovoltaic glass, example of data sheet specifications The PV cells laid in the interlayer foils are manufactured following a specific quality control plan and by setting in place a specific factory production control (FPC) to assess components and their performances.

Despite recent efforts on heat loss mitigation (relying on additional glass panes, coatings or thermal breaks to framing elements) curtain walls remain a significant contributor to the energy consumption of such buildings.

To meet a demand for low-cost BIPV solutions, the project developed innovations such as transparent, digital-printed PV glass that can be used as a curtain wall or floor tile and Click-&-Go substructure for easily creating solar facades.

The aesthetic integration is also commonly discussed, as it is a critical point. The PV panel may be incorporated into many different assemblies and part of the building envelope. PV can be incorporated into façade completing, or replacing, traditional vision areas or spandrel glass.

The PV panel showed in Fig. 8.16 is fully integrated in the spandrel part of the curtain wall. The stratigraphy of the panel (Figs. 8.17 and 8.18) is composed by two layers of float glass 6 mm thickness with interlayer foil made in EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) composes the glass thickness of the BIPV.