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Solar Glass...

...has great potential, but I have yet to find a listed [by UL] system that works architecturally.

PV glass is a compelling material.  Solar cells are sandwiched between two layers of solar glass and can serve as a canopy, curtainwall, or safety glass.  The most recent example of this is Renzo Piano's new Academy of Sciences project in Golden Gate Park.

cal_acad_pv

The problem?  These modules are said to "comply with UL 1703".  They can't be connected to the grid without a UL listing, or a field evaluation using listed components.  The City and County of San Francisco are tough on un-listed assemblies.  UL has stated they will not do a field evaluation on a custom glass/glass pv component, requiring it to go through the six to nine month, $25 to $50K listing process for the entire range of modules being utilized.

schuco_pv There needs to be a better fix--even though this material is more expensive, on a $/W basis, than typical modules, the fact that it is doing double duty as a canopy actually makes it far more valuable.

Schuco and Open Energy were showcasing this type of product at Solar Power 2007.  Both shrugged when I asked if their products were UL listed.  Sounds like an opportunity to me.  You can do a field eval from listed components--but the components of a module are a pv cell, and the connecting conductors.  Maybe that is the solution--get the components listed.

CAN PV WORK FOR ME?

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on October 5, 2007 8:46 AM.

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