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The German company Syglas (Systeme für Aktivglas GmbH) has come out with a novel window blinds product that not only offers protection from sunlight, but captures it as well.
The slats of the blind are fixed between two sheets of glass and consequently cannot get dirty. Syglas, which specializes in shading and light systems, is offering the solar blinds in two variations: Iso Light PV for facades and Iso Fix PV for mounting on slanted roofs. The photovoltaic slats, manufactured by the Phototronics unit at ASE GmbH near Munich, consist of tandem amorphous silicon cells deposited on glass, and have, according to company specifications, an efficiency of 6 percent. Since amorphous silicon cells operate more efficiently at higher temperatures than crystalline silicon cells, the placement of the PV slats between the insulating glass sheets, where temperatures of 70° C are easily reached, leads to very good performance.
Syglas positions the slats using its patented plug-in plate technology in a guiding frame, which includes the electrical wiring. Iso Light PV and Iso Fix PV come with both a nominal current of 24 V for stand-alone systems and 60 V for grid-connected systems. Syglas supplies the complete solar blinds package to an association of 34 systems partners in Germany, which in turn put them into windows. The blinds can be manufactured to use with glass up to a width of 99 cm and a height of 250 cm. Syglas says the nominal power of the photovoltaic slats is about 40 W/m². Syglas head Alexander von Khuon estimates the wholesale cost ranges from 1,000 to 1,300 DM ($480 to $620 USD) per square meter. Iso Light PV and Iso Fix PV should be on the market in April, and available worldwide. Syglas will present a prototype with adjustable solar blinds at the 16th Photovoltaic Symposium in Staffelstein, Germany from March 14-16. Syglas – Systeme für Aktivglas GmbH Johannes
Bernreuter
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