Two birds
31st January 2012

To make PV economically viable as a domestic power source without subsidies, Polysolar, an award winning UK developer and producer of transparent PV glass for BIPV applications, argues that photovoltaic modules needs to perform multiple functions – not just electricity generation.

In other words the PV installation needs to offer customers additional benefits, with the PV acting as a building material in its own right, substituting for existing building materials and, thereby, presenting only a marginal additional cost in construction, rather than remaining a resource wasteful ‘tack-on’ solution.

Polysolar produce a transparent PV glazing module specifically designed for use as an integrated building material that can be cost effective against conventional building cladding materials. The company has launched a range of domestic greenhouses that incorporate its tinted clear PV glass. The solution delivers both a fully functional greenhouse, with the added benefit of improved temperature and UV light control, together with generating renewable electricity for the home.

Hamish Watson, CEO of Polysolar, explained that for many homeowners putting conventional PV panels on the roof may not be possible for aesthetic, planning or positioning reasons, but putting a solar PV greenhouse in the garden can “kill two birds with one stone”. You get an effective PV system to power the home and a fully functional greenhouse. The PV panels in the greenhouse roof, despite cutting out some of the light, allow through the light spectrum used in plant photosynthesis. They also cut out the scorching effect of ultraviolet light and help maintain a more constant temperature in the greenhouse.

www.solarpvgreenhouse.com
www.polysolar.co.uk