Solar Balcony Power Plant

Novel Balcony Power Plant generating Solar Energy

a2-solar delivers 240 customized and colored solar modules for balcony integration to create a truely pure solar power plant

With solar modules made by a2-solar GmbH, balconies turn into innovative and profitable "solar power plants", which already now fulfil all requirements of the future energy saving regulations as well as highest aesthetic and architectural standards. The fact that PV systems are only installed on roof tops or in solar parks has long become a thing of the past.

One intelligent solution has been realized at an object in Switzerland:

Energetic renovation of an existing residential building

For a residential building in the Swiss city of Bern, Balco Balkonkonstruktionen GmbH supplied 96 balconies with a total of 240 integrated photovoltaic elements by a2-solar GmbH. This project was commissioned by swissREnova, a construction company from Bern-Münsingen (Switzerland), which places particular emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency in its construction projects. In this project, the residential building from 1963 was renovated to passive house standards. This means that it now requires 80 to 90 percent less heating energy than conventional buildings.

A conventional building component has now been converted into a weatherproof, power-producing outdoor space that is available to residents all year round, thus increasing living comfort and usable space.

Different colour variants

These solar modules not only produce electricity, but also meet highest aesthetic and architectural requirements. We offer different transparency options and color variations for cells as well as glasses and embedding foils and thus adapt our solar modules individually to our customers' desires, so that the appearance of photovoltaics is aligned with the technical "frame" and the environment.

Power-generating balconies

The area below the parapet was equipped with solar modules from a2-solar GmbH. Mono-crystalline solar cells were used, which are laminated between two 4mm thick, partially tempered safety glasses. The distance between the cells and towards the edges was kept as small as possible to minimize transparency and view. They allow a view from the inside to the outside - but not the other way round - and thus offer privacy. The front glass made of structured glass with a dot silk print as well as a grey embedding foil give the elements their special golden coloring. This means that the parapets are virtually undetectable as solar modules from the outside.

A total of 240 modules with a height of 1,090 millimeters and various widths from 1,407 to 1,767 millimeters were installed. They yield an output of 46 kWp and generate up to 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity (kWh) per year for own consumption.

Photovoltaic modules as parapet cladding

In this project, our solar modules were designed in cooperation with swissREnova and delivered as components to Balco Balkonkonstruktionen GmbH, who then integrated these modules into the balconies at the factory. The prefabricated balcony elements were then mounted on the existing building as a complete system. This system is particularly suitable for refurbishment or renovation projects - when the buildings receive new balconies anyway but roof installations are not an option.

Each of our solar modules is designed and manufactured specifically according to customer requirements - whether for closed pre-fabricated balcony components or individual mini-batch solutions for guardrail systems.

Photovoltaics - individually assembled:

At a2-solar, each of our photovoltaic elements is designed and manufactured individually according to your demands:

You are searching for photovoltaic elements to attach to facades in various sizes and shapes as well as with different glass surfaces and color designs? a2 can do!

You want to replace a conventional overhead glazing by profitable and shadowing solar elements?a2 can do!

You want to cover your winter garden or terrace with semi-transparent photovoltaic elements?a2 can do – no matter if in shingled or flat arrangements!

You want your carport to become a power plant for your house electricity or your future e-mobility vehicles?With a2, you can do!

You request your solar balcony railing to meet all fall-proof standards according to DIN 18008 and the general building authority test certificate AbP? At a2, all our modules do!

Make profit of large surfaces

In addition to commercial and industrial halls, multi-story residential buildings are also suitable for this type of energy generation, as they often have large usable surfaces - not only on roof tops, but above all on façade or parapet surfaces.

In the building sector in particular, there is a far greater potential for energy savings than assumed.

The main driving force here is the aim for greater energy efficiency, since buildings alone account for almost 40% of the total European energy consumption. In order to take account of climate protection, the German government plans to make the building sector climate-neutral by 2050 and to make all new buildings low-energy buildings by the end of 2020. To achieve this ambitious goal, energy-efficient construction methods and solutions are required.

Are you looking for solar applications to "activate" your building envelope? Just give us a call: We will be happy to elaborate your individual solar concept according to your wishes and specifications.