Incubated by the National University of Singapore, and as a spin-off of SERIS, Power Facade develops and produces building-related photovoltaic products, e.g., prefabricated building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems and coloured BIPV panels for building facades. It aims to deliver sustainable solutions for the building industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia. With the drive towards the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework, there is a huge demand for renewable energy generation and carbon emission reductions, especially in the building industry.
All-in-one prefab BIPV solutions
Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions enable the adoption of clean energy on site and promote low-energy buildings. In highly urbanised cities, BIPV applications on building façades can unlock additional deployment areas next to the traditional rooftop solar systems, especially on tall buildings with limited roof space. However, the lack of “plug-and-play” BIPV solutions in the market has hindered their deployment. To facilitate BIPV adoption in buildings, the spin-off has developed a design method for a unitised BIPV wall system based on light gauge steel prefabrication technology. The new BIPV wall system is characterised by an “all-in-one” design with multiple functional layers. Each unit can operate independently or interconnected through an interlocking design that enables fast installation and guarantees air and water tightness (see Fig. 1). The design approach has been constructed and demonstrated at full scale in Singapore, prior to the creation of the spin-off. Three workers without electrical experience can perform on-site installation from inside the building without the use of scaffolding, because each unit is pre-assembled and pre-wired at an off-site factory.
Coloured BIPV solutions
The colours of standard solar panels in the markets are typically limited to black and blue. As a result, architects and developers are hesitant to use them on building facades, due to the lack of visual appeal and design variability to blend seamlessly with the existing environment. To address this challenge, Power Facade offers coloured solar panels that can replicate the colours and textures of building materials such as marble, bricks, and concrete. Using SERIS-patented hybrid printing techniques, the efficiency of the modules is maximised while meeting the aesthetic demands (see Fig. 2).
Power Facade has been awarded the EMA-Shell Partnership Start-up Grant by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to deliver solutions that will promote and improve the clean energy sector in Singapore. This grant will support fine-tuning of its products in 2025. SERIS is a collaborator of Power Facade in this grant.
For further information, please contact:
Power Facade Pte. Ltd.
Dr ZHANG Qianning
CEO and Co-founder
qianning.zhang@powerfacade.net
Dr CHEN Tianyi
Co-founder
tianyi.chen@powerfacade.net