If, in addition to flat roofs, additional areas are to be developed for the generation of solar power, such as pitched roofs or even façades, the demands on the design options increase.
This raises the question of developing aesthetically sophisticated and modifiable solar modules that allow a high degree of design freedom in terms of coloring and other design requirements, while at the same time exhibiting only minimal color-related energy yield losses. The joint project "Light management and production concepts for colored photovoltaic modules in building façades" (Color PV) by Fraunhofer CSP, Hohenstein Isolierglas GmbH and Kogu Print & Werbetechnik GmbH & Co. KG addresses this issue.
The aim is to flexibly display different monochrome or multicolored designs on solar modules with a wide range of colors and relatively high resolution, so that photorealistic images can also be displayed. In contrast to most previous technologies, which use spectrally selective coatings and therefore only enable homogeneous, single-color surfaces with a very limited selection of colors, the project partners are relying on digital printing processes and multi-color printing for a wide range of colors as well as individual, semi-transparent color prints. The special feature of the project, which will run until January 2022, is that it covers the entire value chain: from film and glass processing to digital printing and solar module production.
