PV Activation and Pilot Series Production

We offer comprehensive services for prototype development and evaluation of solar products in terms of service life and reliability. Together, we develop solutions for PV integration into your product and implement them. Once safety and reliability have been successfully tested, initial pilot series production at Fraunhofer CSP is your path to a PV product ready for series production.

Concrete Solar Facade

In the C3 (Carbon Concrete Composite) project, over 150 partners are working to establish carbon concrete as a sustainable building material. Fraunhofer CSP is researching how photovoltaic modules can be efficiently integrated into concrete and interconnected to maximize electricity yield.

• Carbon concrete instead of reinforced concrete: concrete encases carbon fiber structures
• Advantages: malleable, stable, lower in pollutants, more recyclable, suitable for renewable energies
• Photovoltaic integration by Fraunhofer CSP for maximum efficiency
• More electricity yield thanks to 3D facades: inclination, tilt, curvature, and facets increase the PV area.

Aluminum Solar Facade

• Qualified materials
  • Corrosion-resistant aluminum profiles, UV- and weather-resistant sealing and insulation materials
  • Components for facades and PV that comply with standards and certifications
• Proven reliability
  • Laboratory and practical tests (climate cycle, UV, moisture, mechanical stress) and yield monitoring
  • Durable system design with maintenance and replacement concepts
• Shading-proof wiring
  • Segmented strings, bypass diodes/MLPE options, cross-connected subfields
  • Optimized yield in diffuse irradiation and partial shading

Solar Roof Shingles

• Lightweight construction thanks to fiber-reinforcement : low roof load, easy installation
• PV integration in complex 3D structures (curved/angled surfaces)
• High dimensional stability and accuracy of fit
• Module and format variety for seamless roof surfaces
• Option for quick maintenance/replacement depending on the fastening concept

Solar Roof for Caravan

For the roof of a motorhome, the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP, in collaboration with Westfalia Mobil GmbH, has developed a unique solar module for full-surface installation in pop-up roofs.

• PV module integrated into the pop-up roof of the “Concept Marco Polo”; space-efficient, low shading
• Tailor-made from materials to connections; goal: maximum yield; under STC: 382 Wp
• Full-surface layout, rear/concealed connections; true roof integration; dark premium look
• Half cells reduce losses, increase shading tolerance; optimized wiring; ~25% power at 50% shade
• Vehicle-integrated PV for increasing power requirements; Fraunhofer CSP offers customized, series-ready solutions.
  

»SOLAR.shell« Solar Facade

• Aesthetic and efficient solar facade called “SOLAR.shell”
• Developed by architects at HTWK Leipzig and researchers at Fraunhofer CSP
• Special design achieves up to 50% more energy yield than conventionally mounted solar modules
• Combines high electricity yield with attractive building appearance

The development of SOLAR.shell was funded by the German federal program “Zukunft Bau” (Future of Construction) and supported by BOBO GmbH, SGB Steuerungstechnik GmbH, and the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP, among others. The Fraunhofer Center manufactured the special PV modules and presented the demonstrator for the first time at the PV Days in Halle (Saale).

Solar Roof for Building Integration

• Building-integrated Solar Module GiSMo
• Lightweight in-roof system: roof covering + photovoltaics in one
• Shingle system with overlapping compensates for seasonal expansion
• Channel routing in overlaps safely drains away any water that penetrates
• Very quick installation and easy module replacement
• Lower overall costs thanks to fewer additional elements and less installation work
• Less than 9 kg/m²: easy to handle on the roof

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Customized Manufacturing

• Manufacturing of simple to complex strings (cell interconnection, layout, busbars)
• Production of laminates (glass/film, glass/glass, encapsulation, special materials)
• Customized solar modules (special formats, BIPV, 3D geometries, small series)
• Quality assurance: EL/IV flash, insulation and climate tests, traceability
• Use of Fraunhofer CSP equipment: stringers, laminators, test laboratories, climate chambers

Individual Consulting 

• Material selection for high reliability
  • Tested, UV- and climate-resistant materials
  • Service life and compatibility analysis (mechanical, electrical)
  • Compliance with standards and certification
• Process design for quality and cost optimization
  • Design-to-cost, lean and automation approaches
  • In-line testing, quality control, traceability
  • Stable supply chains and series production capability
• Customized, customer-oriented PV integration
  • BIPV and 3D geometries, mounting and cabling concepts
  • Electrical wiring for maximum yield
  • Custom designs, prototyping, pilot projects

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