Sloped solar panel wall
The south facade of conference centre De Basis is almost completely covered with photovoltaic solar panels. This installation lets in plenty of daylight and generates enough energy to power that part of the building.
Photovoltaic solar panels
The south facade is clad with a total of 250 m² of photovoltaic solar panels. However, these are not classic solar panels. In the case of classic solar panels, the silicon plates, which is what creates the electric current, are attached to a detached plate. Those panels are then usually mounted on roofs. In De Basis's facade, on the other hand, those plates are integrated into the windows, namely between 2 panes of glass. This design ensures that sufficient daylight can still enter through the south façade.
The solar panels generate enough electricity to power that part of the building, namely 15,000kWh/year, equivalent to the consumption of about five households! The panels are mainly mounted at an angle, except for the top three rows, to achieve optimum efficiency.
Although this solar panel facade offers many advantages, it also has a significant drawback. Indeed, in summer, the space behind the façade can overheat, as the large glass surface is directly exposed to the sun's rays during hot summer days.
More demos listed
