A Dubai solar-technology firm has created history with the installation of the world’s first Kromatix coloured solar panels on a building facade.

Emirates Insolaire, a pioneer in solar technologies and a joint venture of Dubai Investments  and SwissInso Holding, has marked the installation of the world’s first Kromatix coloured solar panels on a building façade in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The entire installation, worth Dh850,000 ($231,000), is capable of generating sufficient electric power annually for two families of four people each. The building, with its unique blue façade, thus has the unique recognition of having the first coloured, photovoltaic solar panel façade in the world.

Two other projects in Basel, Switzerland, and Austria have also been completed. Emirates Insolaire continues to receive enquiries for its solar panels from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, as well as from Europe, Asia, the US and Brazil.

Going by the projects on hand, demand and enquiries across the globe, Emirates Insolaire expects sales over 50,000 sq m for coloured solar panels in 2015 alone. Each coloured solar panel can generate above 150 watts electric power per sq m on roofs, or above 110 watts per sq m on façades.

Globally, the photovoltaic market has grown 40 per cent year-on-year and the number of installations foreseen for 2015 is 160 GW – approximately 800 million sq m of glass. The share of building integrated photovoltaic for rooftops and facades is witnessing one of the fastest growth rates.

Rafic Hanbali, managing partner of Emirates Insolaire, said: “The completion of Emirates Insolaire’s first project in Lausanne is a major milestone for the company. With the Kromatix technology, the company has ushered in a paradigm shift in solar applications because of its aesthetic appeal to any building façade and efficiency due to its power generating attributes. The company sees significant growth opportunities going forward not only in the Europe but across the globe.”

Kromatix solar panels can supply between 20 per cent and 60 per cent of the needed energy for a building. For certain industries with large roof and façades, this can go up to 100 per cent. Coming in virtually any colour, the Emirates Insolaire solar panels are optimised for both photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors.- TradeArabia News Service