1 April 2011

CIS PV firm Odersun co-operates with Lithodecor on solar façades

Odersun AG of Berlin, Germany, which designs and manufactures flexible thin-film solar modules using proprietary CISCuT (copper indium disulfide on copper tape) reel-to-reel manufacturing technology, and Lithodecor, which produces ventilated curtain wall systems, are co-operating in the field of solar façades.

Odersun is supplying custom-made CIS solar modules for Lithodecor’s Airtec system. Apart from classic materials such as glass and natural stone, Airtec façades are now available with multi-functional façade components integrating photovoltaics. Solutions already provided by Lithodecor can be individually combined with the new solar components. Odersun manufactures system-compatible as well as project-specific solar modules for building integration, so Lithodecor is able to provide system standard sizes as well as individual made-to-measure solutions.

The integration of renewable energy into the building envelope is the next logical step for Lithodecor in upgrading its product portfolio. “Energy-efficient building is not a ‘nice-to-have’ anymore but a mandatory requirement to meet low-carbon goals,” says Dr Clemens von Trott zu Solz, managing director of Lithodecor’s façade division, which lately emerged from well-known Alsecco following an internal brand conversion. “As an established manufacturer of building systems, we want to provide our customers with materials which help them to meet these new standards. With Odersun we have found the right partner with the technology and products to enable innovative and aesthetic façades solutions,” he adds.

Odersun is able to adapt its modules in size and design to fit into the respective façade system. “Odersun modules have become a scalable building material thanks to our flexible technology and customizable product design, making it an ideal fit for the various parts of the building envelope,” claims the CIS module maker’s CEO Dr Hein van der Zeeuw. “We are happy to have Lithodecor as an experienced system partner who shares our vision of energy-efficient building with photovoltaics.”

The new solar façade system is designed to support builders striving to meet the tightening standards of energy conservation regulations and energy-efficient refurbishment. Solar components replace alternative façade elements with full functionality and provide payback through the façade-generated electricity, says Odersun.

Both firms showed the first samples of the Airtec Photovoltaic system at January’s BAU 2011 building and construction industry trade show in Munich, Germany earlier this year. Reference projects are in the setup phase.

Tags: Odersun Thin-film solar cells CIS

Visit: www.odersun.com

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