Zurich – The cement giant LafargeHolcim teamed up with the thin-solar film company Heliatek to develop an energy-generating concrete façade that is capable of producing double the energy generated by roof-based solar systems.
It took two years of collaboration before the innovative
cladding solution was ready for the market. The energy-generating
concrete facade combines LafargeHolcim’s high-performance
concrete Ductal and Heliatek’s ultra-light, flexible
solar film called HeliaFilm.
With the new system, prefabricated Ductal panels are delivered
on site with an integrated solar energy-generation system. A
prototype of the new photovoltaic façade system will be presented
at the French construction fair Batimat this November, and a pilot
project is planned for next year.
The partners estimate that a 10 storey commercial building
covered with 60 per cent of its façade with the new cladding system
could generate approximately 30 per cent of its annual energy
requirement.
“With this Ductal/ HeliaFilm solution, building owners and
developers as well as architects and engineers will be able to
mitigate the energy costs of a building while enjoying the many
benefits of a very light, low maintenance and long-lasting cladding
solution,” Gérard Kuperfarb, head of growth and innovation at
LafargeHolcim, said in a statement.
Heliatek is a technology leader in the field of organic
electronics and has developed a range of ultra-light, highly
aesthetic thin solar films. HeliaFilm’s CO2 footprint is nearly
five times less than traditional crystalline photovoltaics.
According to Thibaud Le Séguillon, CEO of Heliatek GmbH,
HeliaFilm is the active element that transforms building cladding
into a power station. “This is the path to green, localized
energy.”