Hydro’s buildings systems brands Technal, Wicona and Domal deliver a wide range of windows, doors, facades and other components.
Many products in themselves are designed to insulate against heat and cold, but our facades are also designed to actively shade against heat from the sun’s rays, while still allowing natural light to enter. These energy-saving features are naturally very useful in saving on power bills and reducing our customers’ carbon footprint.
We’re taking this concept one step further, with a unique partnership with U.S.-based Ascent Solar, which is developing a product that can revolutionize the way we use energy to heat, cool and illuminate buildings.
It makes sense to use a building’s large flat surfaces to help gather energy, but many solar panels currently available are only suited for rooftop applications. Ascent Solar is working on a better concept: super-thin flexible film solar cell modules. That’s right - flexible.
“Today’s photovoltaic solutions are completely inflexible. With Ascent Solar's technologies, we can really overcome the gaps,” says Werner Jäger of Hydro Building Systems.
New shapes
Ascent Solar’s thin flexible solar cell modules can be shaped in ways not possible until now, including making them an integral part of building facade elements. This way, the solar cells become part of the architecture and can take advantage of much more of a building’s surface area.
Matthew Foster, president and CEO of Ascent Solar, explains: “The idea here is to be able to integrate the thin film photovoltaic materials into building materials, and do all that integration in the factory.”
Hydro has also become part owner in Ascent Solar, creating a close partnership. Says Foster: “It’s a strong opportunity and relationship for us. Though we are a very small company, we now have a global reach. Both parties are trying to make Ascent Solar a success.”
Bright idea.
See link in right column to return to Annual reporting 2007 site
