About ColorBlast®

ColorBlast® is an in-house development by Kameleon Solar. It allows the production of colored solar panels at a high efficiency. Using a ceramic ink pattern, ColorBlast® creates an optical illusion of an even color from a distance of approximately 5 meters. The ink is deposited in a metric pixel pattern across the surface of the module, allowing light to pass around and through the printed shapes to reach the cells. The panel absorbs light evenly across its surface, preventing hotspots and maximizing efficiency.

Digital printing

Before the front glass is tempered, we digitally print a ceramic ink in a metric pattern on the frontside of the glass. Each small dot or shape in the pattern has an empty space around it to allow light to pass through to the cells. The printed glass is then tempered in a hardening oven at temperatures over 500˚C. After the glass is tempered, the inks become as scratch resistant as the glass itself and remain colorfast for a period of over 50 years.

Digital printing allows us to print images, logos and complex designs that can span multiple modules, even an entire façade.

Creating color

ColorBlast® only works if the background of the module is a single color. That is to say, all of the components behind the glass that are subjected to sunlight must be uniform in color. Any break in this background will undo the optical illusion of an even color or image. Solar cell technology is, in general, black, so we opt for a completely black module behind the print.

Working in such a manner causes the color of the background to distort the color or image that is created on the printed layer. A ColorBlast® module printed in white, for example, will turn grey due to the black background.

We have delved into this color transformation and are able to counter its effects. If a certain color blue is required, we can calculate the ink combination required to attain it before we even begin printing.

The black background is ever present and therefore puts a limit on the virbancy we can attain in certain ranges. We will always perform a feasibility check beforehand to ensure that the color you have chosen is also possible to re-create in ColorBlast®.

Maximizing efficiency

This is where the fun starts. When we print a color it changes according to color of the background and the percentage of the surface area we cover. The more we cover, the less transformation occurs. This means we can attain brighter colors by covering more of the surface.

When you cover more of the surface, however, the maximum yield of a panel decreases. Less light is able to pass around the pixels and the solar cells simply generate less energy. What this also means is that we can cover less of the surface to increase the power of module.

We have come to a point now where we can not only accurately predict the outcome of any printed color in any percentage of coverage, but we can also calculate the minimum surface area required in order to attain a specific color. When we want to achieve a dark red, we know exactly how much of the surface to print in order to obtain it. This means we can guarantee that each color we produce is also going to generate the maximum amount of energy possible for that color.

Let’s Build Something

Whether you have technical questions, an active project, or even if you’re just curious about us, use this contact form and we’ll get in touch with you shortly.

info@kameleonsolar.com
Belder 1, 4704 RK, Roosendaal
+31 (0)165 76 38 26