The Schueco UK has launched two new PV modules to meet the environmental criteria. They are high efficiency and cost-effective. One product is ERC 50 Renovation Façade and the other product is ProSol TF+. In particular, ERC 50 is fit onto the front of an existing building. Thus it enables older commercial and residential properties to meet the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions standards required by Building Regulations.
Installing ERC 50 Renovation Façade offers a building a new surface skin in simple way. First, the external load-bearing construction is fitted onto the grid of the building structure. Second, the grid is filled with high-insulation windows and other infills including all-glass panels, insulated metal panels and ProSol TF+ PV modules. The old windows will then be removed from inside. Meanwhile, the optional design extras, such as solar shading, decentralised ventilation with heat recovery and metratronic windows can also be included. Thus, the tenants can remain in-situ most of the time during the refurbishment and there is no loss of rental income.
The ProSol TF+ can increase the electrical output by 30%. Moreover, it dramatically reduces the air-conditioning in the summer and the heating in the winter since it performs both as insulation and solar shading as part of glazing unit. As an extremely green product, ProSol TF+ does not contain any rare or toxic materials that are generally contained in PV modules. It not only has a variety of size options, but also as various degrees of transparency ranging from 5% to 25%.
Since the TF+ modules bring both valuable financial and environmental benefits in one package, it may be a solution to change the whole dynamics of the building sector. Installation has already been taken place in some offices in Southam, Warwickshire.
