Dutch Solar Design will present at the Dutch Design Week with energy producing cladding material for buildings

The building integrated DSD-PV modules enable large scale application of solar panels in façades and surfaces of buildings which will make the whole built environment more self-sustaining and energy efficient. The research of Dutch Solar Design was realised with the support of the Topsector Energie of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. The results of this research will be exhibited during the Dutch Design Week in Hall 3 of the Klokgebouw (near the embassy of Circularity), Stand 3.05. At the square in front of the Klokgebouw there is an installation realized with Dutch Solar Design modules in which the graphical quality of the material can be experienced.

A powerful alternative

The research done by Dutch Solar Design responds to the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. According to this agreement the Netherlands is confronting a huge task: to make the built environment energy neutral by 2030. In order to achieve this, 7 million houses and 1 million buildings will need to be transformed into energy-neutral or even energy-positive buildings. This challenge asks for new solutions. With the goal to make the cities of the future not only smart and efficient but also attractive, six partners got together in January 2017 and combined their expertise on innovation, technology and design into the Dutch Solar Design-consortium. Their goal was to develop a flexible, aesthetic, efficient and affordable solar panel to be integrated in façades.

Efficiency and design quality

The DSD-PV module consists of a combination of photovoltaic material that produces energy and a full-colour printed that can be designed by the client. The module consists of two layers: a photovoltaic layer that produces energy and a full-colour printed design layer. The application of the DSD-PV module enables the use of solar cells in façades and surfaces of buildings, allowing housing blocks, offices, bridges or even highway soundwalls to become power plants. The visual and aesthetical design quality allows architects to use the cladding material without their creative freedom of artistic expression being constrained.

Innovation + technology + design

The Dutch Solar Design Photovoltaic-module is a product of the joint expertise of six partners:

• ECN part of TNO initiated and led the consortium and contributed to the development of the production technology and the optimization of the full colour DSD-PV module.
• UNStudio developed the design software that determines the strategic balance between maximum energy production and visual design qualities of the module.
• Printing specialist TS Visuals brought in their knowledge on innovative printing solutions to optimize this balance between decorative print and performance.
• Design Innovation Group undertook market research, mapping consumer needs and using them to direct the product development of the DSD-PV module.
• Aldowa used its specific knowledge about metal façades to develop a modular-system for the DSD-PV module.
• The research team Urban Technology of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) investigated the use of DSD-PV in the renovation of housing blocks and utility buildings to make them energy neutral.

For the market introduction of the DSD-PV module the company Solar Visuals Ltd. was founded.