The project SPHINX has taken off! Solar Photovoltaics Integrated into the Built Environment
The SPHINX is a 3-year EU-funded project aiming to demonstrate solutions for an economic and sustainable integration of five innovative integrated PV products in five respective demonstration sites, covering different construction typologies: lightweight modules for installation on rooftops with weight constraints, aesthetic tiles for heritage buildings, cladding for facades, semi-transparent modules for carports, and noise barriers.
Each of these products will be demonstrated and monitored to prove characteristics, such as high energy production, low degradation rates, competitive installation costs, and a low environmental impact. To increase the efficiency of solar modules, SPHINX is leveraging an innovative European interconnection technology known as matrix shingling. This technology improves the filling of the active area of solar modules, leading to a 3% increase in power output, and make them less sensitive to shading. This translates into up to 3 times more energy yield compared to standard modules under strong partial shading. Furthermore, this technology drastically reduces the use of resources such as lead and copper.
The project will help accelerate the adoption of photovoltaics, the cheapest source of energy, by developing new photovoltaic products for integrated constructions that are multi-functional, aesthetically pleasing, and have a minimal impact on resources such as land and materials.
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This project is funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101136094. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
