Today RWE inaugurated a modern biogas plant in Bergheim-Paffendorf in the presence of Mr. Johannes Remmel, Minister for Environment in North Rhine-Westphalia. Besides the production of bio-methane, the large façade of the fermenters is used for a pilot installation of the organic solar film by Heliatek.
“Our credo is ‘energy from the region for the region.’ Today we have to celebrate two occasions: We give the official start for operations of our highly modern biogas plant; furthermore, we push innovation and test an organic solar film in the heart of a brown coal district,” stated Hans Buenting, board member renewable energies of RWE International SE.
In addition to the production of bio-methane for heat supply, the solar film of Heliatek is generating further energy. About 95 square meters of HeliaFilm®have been installed directly on profiled steel panels of the fermenter façade. This is a world first for such a technology approach.
Thibaud Le Séguillon, CEO Heliatek, adds: “RWE has chosen our organic solar film product, HeliaFilm®, due to its unique product characteristics. Being ultra-thin, flexible and having a truly green lifecycle are the main reasons to use HeliaFilm® in this innovative application. We are proud to implement the world’s first project of this kind with our partner and thus set new standards for Building Integrated Organic Photovoltaic (BIOPV) on industrial installation.”
Altogether 180 HeliaFilm® solar films with a total installed power of 5.40 kWp were mounted directly onto the profiled steel façade panels. The light weight of HeliaFilm® is a key advantage since it makes installation on existing façades possible. The influence of statics of a building, especially in comparison to silicon solar modules, is negligible.
In a vertical mounting, further special characteristics become effective. The Heliatek solar film has a superior low light performance, which is a clear advantage in a non-optimal orientation of a vertical façade. HeliaFilm® also offers a very stable, high temperature behavior, allowing direct application to the façade structure without requiring extra ventilation, and thus opening a wide range of new industrial applications.
