OPV Solar Technology
While numerous designers and artists are showcasing their talent and creativity and regularly rendering the visitors speechless with their talent at Expo Milano 2015, German Pavilion is exhibiting an advanced solar technology based on OPV which could be the answer to sustainable energy production thus impacting the life of every being on the planet. The German pavilion showcases a series of tree-like canopy structures which are embedded with Organic Photovoltaic modules (OPV). The pavilion is designed such that the modern vibe of canopy is balanced by the wooden deck flooring. The canopy is designed by Schmidhuber architects while the OPV technology has been developed by Belectic. Canopy provides shade during the day while the plastic film illuminates itself during the night using the solar energy stored during the day.
Due to one-step manufacturing process, OPV will be less costlier than conventional solar panels. Its biggest positive point is that it can be embedded on thin film surface which is flexible as well as cost-effective thus widening its field of application. According to Hermann Issa, Director of Business Development & Sales at Belectric OPV “Organic photovoltaics opens up entirely new opportunities in the field of architecture. They adapt to the requirements of architects and designers, not the other way around,” Although not fully developed, the work shows a tremendous potential that needs motivation and encouragement which might just push the boundary of Solar technology thereby transforming the present scenario. By: Vaibhav Sharma