In Switzerland, developed a "smart" solar power plant for building facades

Smart "solar panels for building facades were designed by engineers at the Federal Technical University of Zurich (ETHZ). The panels can rotate horizontally and vertically, choosing the right orientation for the Sun in order to optimally heat or cool the rooms for a given period. Experts told Nature Energy about their development. .

According to ETHZ on its website, a research team led by Professor Arno Schlüter has created a "system of movable solar panels to generate electricity," which, depending on the weather, regulates the amount of solar radiation that hits the walls of the building. For a year, taking into account the seasonal needs for heat and coolness at such a power plant in a temperate climate, 15% more energy is generated than consumed, and on a clear summer day this system is 50% more productive than static solar panels mounted on the facade.

“The innovative facade includes many movable solar panels mounted on a grid of light steel cables. They are individually controlled and change their position vertically and horizontally using soft robotic elements,” the scientists note. According to them, it is these robotic drives that are the core of the system. They are resistant to weather changes, and they are not even afraid of a storm.

The panels move in accordance with the real needs of the people in the building for heating or cooling the premises at a specific time. Tests conducted by the developers in Cairo, Zurich and Helsinki showed that the "smart" system of facade solar panels is best suited for use in buildings built to modern standards in a temperate climate. At the same time, in office premises, energy savings are higher than in residential.

But even in the conditions of hot Cairo in a building built in 1920, the system gave an excess of energy generated during the year over consumed by 14%.

ETHZ experts emphasize that it is necessary to find the right balance between comfort for people in the building and energy efficiency. “In theory, windowless buildings are the most energy-efficient,” said Professor Schlüter. However, the system developed in Zurich demonstrated that even with windows, smart interaction between the interior and the exterior of the building can provide convenience for people and generate additional energy, the scientist explained.

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