Photovoltaic glass offers multiple installation possibilities within the building envelope, including curtain walls (vision and spandrel), façades, sunshades, railings, skylights, canopies, and walkable floors. While maintaining standard structural and thermal properties like conventional glass, it uniquely provides an active function: free, clean energy generation, like traditional solar panels.
Suitable for both new constructions and renovation projects, our products integrate solar power generation with the high-performance and durability associated with architectural glass. Fully customizable in form and function, PV glass provides architects and clients with design freedom. A diverse range of glass configurations and dimensions are available, from laminated safety glass to laminated insulating glass. Additionally, options for solar technology type, translucency levels, shapes, textures, colours, and finishes offer extensive customization possibilities. This combination of variables ensures products meet various design criteria ie. U-value, SHGC, VLT, reflectivity, and glare.
Photovoltaic glass harnesses free, clean energy from sunlight through embedded active layers or cells of photovoltaic material within the glass. The energy output of PV glass varies based on several design factors and installation types. Key design factors include solar cell density – the number of solar cells within the glass – and glass dimensions. Balancing nominal power (kW rating) with light transmittance is crucial to ensure the product aligns with design intent and performance requirements.
Visible light transmittance (VLT) stands as a critical design consideration when choosing architectural glass for buildings. Whether it’s for a spandrel condition or a vision panel, Onyx Solar’s PV glass can be tailored to offer a diverse range of VLT levels, ranging from 0% or fully opaque to up to 75% VLT. The greater the transparency of PV glass, the lesser energy it will harvest. While spandrel and solid cladding applications may benefit from maximum performance with high solar cell density, vision areas require less density to meet optical requirements and ensure comfort.
The solar factor, known as the ‘g-value’ or SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient), tells us the amount of energy that glazing will allow into our building in relation to the energy it receives as solar radiation. This is a key factor in achieving indoor thermal comfort in buildings. For instance, a high g-factor might cause the temperature to rise too high due to the greenhouse effect, while low values will prevent this, particularly in a hot climate. Onyx Solar’s photovoltaic glass is a great material to provide control over internal building comfort levels.
Expressed by the thermal transmittance of the glass, the ‘U-value’ represents the amount of heat that passes through the glass when there is a temperature difference between its two sides. The lower the U-value, the better the thermal performance of the glass. This helps buildings become more energy-efficient and saves costs. Onyx Solar’s glass matches the highest insulation performance offered by top-tier architectural glass products.
Solar panels function separately from primary building elements, typically overlapping with existing materials. Our photovoltaic glass is viewed as a primary building envelope component, seamlessly integrating into the structure while generating clean power. A truly building-integrated PV application offsets the expense of alternative conventional construction materials.
Numerous buildings face constraints on available roof space for traditional solar panels. However, PV glass offers a solution by tapping into the energy generation potential of the entire building envelope. In rooftop applications, PV glass can be designed to withstand foot traffic, maximizing the area available for PV installation. Façades, on the other hand, present even greater opportunities, potentially providing a tenfold increase in energy generation. This is achievable because PV glass can be seamlessly integrated across entire curtain walls and cladding areas, among other applications.
In the building-integrated photovoltaic market, design flexibility is paramount for success. Architects vary greatly in their preferences, requiring products tailored to their unique needs, functions, and aesthetic sensibilities. Onyx Solar has dedicated substantial efforts to product development over the years, subjecting each PV glass design to rigorous testing through exhaustive R&D programs. The result is a diverse range of unique products that offer extensive aesthetic possibilities for clients of all kinds. From shape and size to thickness, configuration, colour, and texture, Onyx Solar provides a plethora of customizable variables to choose from.
Our PV glass is classified as CLASS A for fire resistance, meaning it is non-cumbustable and ideal for construction projects, ensuring both safety and efficiency. Unlike any solar panel which at best are classified as C or D, offering a significant advantage in terms of safety and performance.
It is important to understand that our photovoltaic glass is a building material in itself. Conventional PV installations require an additional building structure, such as a roof structure underneath. The combined cost of these building materials along with conventional PV panels is much higher than installing a building material with integrated photovoltaic properties. In this context, it is important to emphasize that our building materials serve a dual function: they act both as building material and as solar panels.
