Modular aluminium elements with integrated photovoltaic modules for solar façades

Aluminium front cladding with integrated photovoltaics allows electricity to be generated where it is needed. A new research project is studying how to combine photovoltaic modules with aluminium components in order to combine efficient energy production, freedom of design for architects and low-cost manufacturing processes.

By 2030, 65 percent of electricity consumed in Germany is supposed to be generated by renewable energy sources. Photovoltaics (PV) will play an important part in this endeavour, and this is also increasingly true for solar power modules integrated directly into the façades of buildings. This makes more areas available for generating sustainable electrical energy, and the close proximity of generator and consumer is another significant advantage.
A variety of shapes and design options for aesthetically pleasing solutions have become available to date. This is the focus of the AluPV project, headed by Fraunhofer CSP, which is planned to end in late 2025. The research partners from science and industry are working together to find new manufacturing methods and material combinations by taking both metalworking for cladding and the possibilities of the photovoltaic industry into consideration.
“We want to realise a novel composite of aluminium façades and PV modules. Our focus is also on the further development of light-weight profiles to reduce the total weight. However, instead of investing a large amount of work to hide the solar cells, we are developing an innovative modular cladding system which will allow a new level of freedom in the design of PV-activated front cladding”, says Ringo Köpge, employee in the “PV Modules, Components and Manufacturing ” group at Fraunhofer CSP. Some of the core questions concern the adhesion of the modules’ backsheets to aluminium surfaces, the possibilities of laminating solar cell strings, avoiding glass breakage and expansion/deformation of the metal cladding as well as ensuring its functionality. The research also focuses on the electrical concept and mechanical suspension for quick and easy installation and the effortless replacement of photovoltaic modules integrated into the building, as well as ecological and economic combinations of material.
Fraunhofer CSP’s competences and photovoltaics manufacturing options could lead to the development of variants and material structures with different modular technologies, which could be aligned with the demands of process technology in manufacturing aluminium cladding elements. Reliability analyses are conducted to ensure that all safety requirements are met and the necessary certification can be granted. At the same time, new methodological approaches are to be developed, especially within the context of integrating photovoltaics into buildings. These are the foundation for improved quality assurance analyses of materials used in building-integrated PV.
Source: Fraunhofer IMWS