Photovoltaic windows to improve the efficiency of buildings
COMSA EMTE is participating in SOLPROCEL, a project co-funded by the European Union which focuses on the development of transparent organic photovoltaic cells for use in collecting solar energy through windows, glass facades and other architectural features that facilitate the entry of natural light into the building.Most photovoltaic installations in buildings consist of modules with opaque cells that are installed on the roof, in opaque facade surfaces, or integrated in glass facades, generating shadows and preventing uniform visibility. The use of transparent photovoltaic cells will significantly increase the electricity-generating surface in building envelopes, while at the same time providing clear and undistorted vision.The development of the SOLPROCEL transparent photovoltaic technology is based on the study of active organic materials, on their efficiency and stability over time. As a specialist in sustainable building, COMSA EMTE is contributing to both the development and the low-cost industrial implementation of the SOLPROCEL technology, which will allow the improvement of the energy efficiency of all types of building in the medium-term future.SOLPROCEL is led by the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and also involves the participation of the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), the Fraunhofer Institute and the company Rent a Scientist (RAS), from Germany, as well as the companies Specific Polymers and Nanograde, from France and Switzerland, respectively.
