OPZuid subsidy for sustainable, multi-colored solar panels in facades

On June 28, it was officially announced that a project team led by Kameleon Solar OpZuid in Brabant will receive a subsidy to develop a chain-wide, integrated approach for sustainable, safe, multi-colored solar panels in facades. Last Thursday, the kick-off for the 'Circular Multicolour Façade PV Factory' project took place at Kameleon Solar's office in Roosendaal. CEO Kevin Verpaalen is delighted: “Scaling up solar panels in facades is an excellent way to accelerate the energy transition while reducing grid congestion.”

Determine the design and efficiency of solar panels yourself

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“The subsidy is used to make the entire production line of colored, building-integrated solar panels more future-proof,” says Verpaalen. “To achieve that, we have three focus areas. First of all, there is the design software. In collaboration with brainstorming and concept and Sioux Technologies, we are developing a user-friendly portal, where architects can design PV panels themselves and enter the color, dimensions and placement on the façade. They will then immediately see what impact design decisions have on the efficiency of the solar façade. The architect's input can go directly into the production line.

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In addition, we are working on a link with BIPV.world's software to efficiently and effectively design an entire façade or entire building with solar panels. This design is immediately translated into insight into the costs and revenues of the total solar façade. Through this platform, you can easily and cost-efficiently achieve a safe PV façade.”

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Recyclable or reusable solar panels

Another focus area concerns the sustainability of the solar panels themselves. In addition, Kameleon Solar, together with TNO and Biosphere Solar, is investigating new ways to bond solar panels so that they can be dismantled at the end of their lifespan and therefore also recyclable or even reusable. “The goal is to develop a way to do that on a large, industrial scale,” says Verpaalen. “This is a very interesting project for us. We will soon be able to apply the technological development in the field of removable or detachable adhesives to other PV areas. This brings the full recyclability of Dutch PV solutions a lot closer,” says Peter Toonssen of TNO.

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Coloured solar panel quality tester

The last point of attention concerns the quality of colored solar panels. Verpaalen: “There are currently few specific quality requirements for colored panels, while you can imagine that it is very difficult to check a PV panel with an image for delamination or bubbles, for example. We can test and really prove that our colored solar panels even have a higher quality, lifespan and fire safety than standard solar panels. That is why, together with Rimas, Steinfort Glas, Sioux Technologies and TNO, we are going to develop a special quality tester or series of quality tests, specifically for different types of colored solar panels.”

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About OPZuid

A total of 1.4 million subsidies have been made available for the total project by OPZuid with co-financing from the State and the province of Noord-Brabant. OPZuid is a European subsidy program for the provinces of Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Zeeland. The aim of this program is to contribute to innovative solutions to five major social transitions — energy, climate, raw materials, agriculture & food and health — for social and economic impact. “In addition, we have been identified by the European Union as one of the strategic projects,” says Verpaalen. “We are therefore very proud and very happy. And the great thing is: if these initiatives are a reality, we can easily roll them out internationally. It is therefore an important starting signal for Kameleon Solar, in order to contribute to a more sustainable society together with our partners.”

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