OPZuid subsidy for sustainable, multicolored solar panels on facades
ROOSENDAAL, July 8, 2024 – On June 28th, it was officially announced that a project team led by the Brabant-based Kameleon Solar will receive OPZuid funding to develop a comprehensive, integral approach for sustainable, safe, multicolored solar panels in facades. Last Thursday, the kick-off for the project ‘Circular Multicolor Facade PV Factory’ (‘Circulaire Multicolour Gevel PV-fabriek’) took place at Kameleon Solar’s office in Roosendaal. CEO Kevin Verpaalen is enthusiastic: “Scaling up solar panels in facades is an excellent way to accelerate the energy transition while simultaneously reducing grid congestion.”
Determining Solar Panel Design and Performance
“The subsidy will be used to make the entire production line of colored, building-integrated solar panels more future-proof,” says Verpaalen. “To achieve this, we have three focus areas. First is the design software. In collaboration with brainstorm en concept and Sioux Technologies, we are developing a user-friendly portal where architects can design PV panels themselves and specify the color, dimensions, and placement on the facade. They can immediately see the impact of design decisions on the performance of the solar facade. The input from the architect can go directly into the production line.
In addition, we are working on a connection with the software from BIPV.world to efficiently and effectively design an entire facade or complete building with solar panels. This design is immediately translated into insights into the costs and returns of the total solar facade. Through this platform, a safe PV facade can be realized easily and cost-effectively.”
Recyclable or Reusable Solar Panels
Another focus area is the sustainability of the solar panels themselves. Kameleon Solar, together with TNO and Biosphere Solar, is investigating new ways to bond solar panels so that they can be dismantled and therefore recycled or even reused at the end of their life cycle. “The goal is to develop a way to do this on a large, industrial scale,” says Verpaalen. “This is a very interesting project for us. The technological development in the field of removable adhesives can also be applied to other PV areas. This brings the full recyclability of Dutch PV solutions much closer,” says Peter Toonssen from TNO.
Quality Testing of Colored Solar Panels
The last focus area 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, for example, delamination or air bubbles. We can test and truly prove that our colored solar panels have even higher quality, durability, and fire safety than standard solar panels. Therefore, we are developing a special quality tester or series of quality tests specifically for different types of colored solar panels in collaboration with Rimas, Steinfort Glas, Sioux Technologies, and TNO.”
About OPZuid
A total of 1.4 million euros in subsidies has been made available for the entire project by OPZuid with co-financing from the national government and the province of North Brabant. OPZuid is a European subsidy program for the provinces of Limburg, North Brabant, and Zeeland. The goal of this program is to contribute to innovative solutions in five major societal transitions – energy, climate, resources, agriculture & food, and health – for social and economic impact. “On top of that, we have been identified by the European Union as one of the strategic projects,” Verpaalen mentions. “We are very proud and extremely happy. And the great thing is: when these initiatives become reality, we can easily roll them out internationally. It is therefore an important starting point for Kameleon Solar, to contribute to a more sustainable society together with our partners.”