Glass modules

[Rick Holland]

Hey Dr Hard, Dr Holland calling in!

What do you think of these transparent modules mate? Any problems with longevity or anything else?

http://www.schott.com/photovoltaic/english/products/pv_building_sol...

[Kevin Hard]

Hiya Ric.

These are nice modules - Evo currently offers them as a option for conservatories. I like them when they are integrated into buildings for the multi-function of asthetics, solar shadding and elec production. I think they work great in conservatories, atriums and walkways where you are trying to minimise solar gain and make some elec to.

For offices, I'm still more of a fan of the crystalline cells in glass (see attached pic) as they have a better yield for the space and produce some great looks when the sun is shining through. The laminates however do sit in a more cost effective middle ground.

In the past, some laminates have suffered from the ingress of water caused by freezing and melting, however as long as they are sealed in a nice framing system (like what schott offer) then this won't be a problem. Schott offer their 10yr guarantee on them.

To summarise: the laminates create a good affect, are visually striking and are relatively cost effective when displacing solar neutral glass. If you are going for a renewables target then I'd look to use crystalline cells for making elec where possible as this will be the most cost effective. If it's for asthetics and offsetting the cost of solar neutral glass, the laminates are another option and a nice way forward.

There's my little bit - Hope this helps

[Rick Holland]

Mate another project has come up where we're looking at BIPV cladding.
What is the uplift in capital cost between a BIPV and a frame mounted system?

[Kevin Hard]

These guys are awesome. I think their great for the right situation.

I trust their glass panels enough to be doing a joint CPD with Schott next week and we're working with them on a couple of office installs.

Longevity is guaranteed for 15 years but are likely to last alot longer. The only negative is that they are a bit more pricey.