BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB
DOHA: The standard black and blue solar panels that clash with design aesthetics of buildings in Qatar, will soon give way to coloured solar glass.
The off-the-grid in style panels capable of generating energy would hit the local market soon.
The first-of-its kind coloured solar glass will be introduced in two iconic buildings.
“Both buildings will cover about 7,000 to 8,000 square metres area of façade producing about 1,000 kilowatt (kW) of solar power,” Rafic Hanbali (pictured), Managing Partner, Emirates Insolaire, a subsidiary of Dubai Investments, told this daily.
Qatari construction sector is showing lot of interest in the breakthrough concept. Our innovative product has received an overwhelming response, especially in Qatar, the UAE, Europe and Brazil. Some of our prospective clients in Qatar are looking forward to installing the technology in their upcoming entrepreneurial and industrial buildings, he said.
Until today all existing solar panels in the world were either black or dark blue, where one can apparently see bus-bars and cells on the panels and had very limited applications in buildings. Such transparent solar panels, because of their poor aesthetics, cannot be put on façades.
“Our patented multi-coloured solar panels named Kromatix have been developed over nine years. It is the top level architectural solar integration called Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV),” he said.
Each coloured panel with Kromatix technology can generate above 150 watts per square metre on roofs, or above 110 watts per square meter on façades.
About 2,000 panels on one building, roof and facades are capable of generating above 350kW.
A standard size building equipped with the technology, according to Hanbali, can meet up to 50 percent of its daily energy needs. However, the ratio may vary from building to building depending on its type and energy requirements.
Hanbali said: “Our products are tailor-made and bears low maintenance cost. During the manufacturing process, panels are specially treated so that they accumulate or stick less dust. As a result they need to be cleaned after a about two months, which is much less frequent compared to conventional panels that require cleaning every two weeks.”
The Kromatix façades that come with a replacement guarantee for 25 years, costs about 10-12 percent higher compared to conventional ones, but given the fact that it saves up to 50 percent of electricity bills for the owner of a building during its life, the product is becoming increasingly popular. “Our breakthrough glass is optimised for photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors and we see a massive growth potential in the Gulf. We expect sales in excess of 50,000 square metres for coloured panels and photovoltaic models during 2015.”
The Peninsula
