Western European environmentally friendly photovoltaic glass

Can a photovoltaic system be installed in a European location?

"If I want to install a photovoltaic system in a European location with average irradiation values, I have a great influence on its climate friendliness with the choice of my PV modules," explains Dr. Holger Neuhaus, Head of Department for Module Technology at Fraunhofer ISE.

Are glass-glass PV modules a good choice?

Glass-glass PV modules (b) do not require an aluminum frame and therefore have a lower carbon footprint than PV modules with backsheet (a). Although photovoltaic modules convert sunlight into electricity without producing emissions, PV-generated solar energy does produce CO2 emissions during production, transport and at the end of module life.

Are glass-glass solar modules better than glass-film solar panels?

In addition, glass-glass solar modules have a longer service life and less degradation than their glass-film counterparts, which also has a positive effect on the CO2 footprint. As to the kWh generated, the frameless glass-glass module causes 22 to 27 percent fewer CO2 emissions than the glass-backsheet module, the researchers explained

Do glass-glass solar panels reduce emissions?

In the process, they also found that glass-glass modules enable an additional emissions reduction ranging between 7.5 to 12.5 percent compared to PV modules with backsheet films, regardless of their production location.

Why do we need a PV production chain in Europe?

"Due to the significantly lower CO2 emissions during production and the further strong increase in demand for more climate-friendly PV modules worldwide, it is now a matter of establishing the PV production chain in Europe quickly and with a great deal of commitment," concludes Prof. Andreas Bett, Institute Director at Fraunhofer ISE.

How can non-vision glass improve energy performance?

By leveraging non-vision glass, the entire surface of the facade can now be used to generate energy, maximising the building’s energy performance. The new Hikari building – ‘hikari’ meaning ‘light’ in Japanese – in Lyon (France) was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.