Sustainability Co-operation

Ober-Ramstadt, 18th March 2014 (DAW) – The photovoltaic specialist BELECTRIC OPV and the building paints and installation systems manufacturer DAW SE (Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke) are working together on the integration of organic photovoltaics (OPV) of the latest generation directly in individual building product lines and their components. The Faculty of Architecture, Specialist Area Design and Energy-Efficient Construction, at the Technical University of Darmstadt under the management of Prof. Manfred Hegger is advising the co-operating partners on questions of building technology and design. The results of the cooperation will be finished constructional elements which are able to generate electricity. This will mean that a new stage in building-integrated photovoltaics is reached. Construction with photovoltaics is possible without further outlay and in addition an homogeneous overall appearance in the architecture is achieved. Here, the photovoltaic constructional elements take on further functions for which otherwise conventional components would have to be used. The structural integration of photovoltaic components is a pioneering development and the demand with system suppliers is correspondingly high. This is where the cooperation between DAW and BELECTRIC OPV starts. The organic photovoltaic components are integrated directly into the facade insulation systems of DAW. This represents a further component in the sustainability strategy, which DAW is following in the long-term. In May 2012 DAW won the medium-sized company prize 'Hidden Champion' of the n-tv channel in the Sustainability category. "DAW has set itself the target of taking up a forerunner role in the field of sustainability. Construction particularly offers enormous potential due to energy-efficient product systems. Consequently, this co-operation ideally suits our environmentally orientated corporate philosophy which we have been following for some time", says Dr. Helmut Plum, who is a member of the DAW Management in which he is responsible for Research & Development as well as Purchasing. BELECTRIC, the world's market leader in the development and construction of free-field solar power stations and photovoltaic roof systems, has been conducting research and development into organic solar cells under the name BELECTRIC OPV since October 2012. Apart from the new series "Solarte", the company is continuing work on the product line "Power Plastic", which is principally orientated to large industrial applications. "So far the use of solar power on buildings has been almost exclusively in the form of roof mounted systems. The use of solar energy via the building shell by utilising prefabricated components is the next important step here. BELECTRIC OPV has the technical expertise to make the specially adapted OPV components available for the project. With our 'Solarte' series we have developed an ideal product for integration into high-quality building products, such as those from DAW. The products enable the users to make an active contribution to environmental protection while also using the electrical energy," adds Dr. Pätzold, CEO of BELECTRIC OPV GmbH.