One ideal when it comes to integrating solar generators into the building envelope is to make them as invisible as possible. One already fairly established way is with solar roof tiles that look just like ordinary tiles. With their Energy Brick, the Bucky Lab team of Daniel Koster, Jordy van Eijk, Karin Backer, Nienke Smit, Pragya Chauhan and Sarah Hoogenboom have been able to achieve something similar for the solar facade.
TU Delft / Bucky Lab
See also: A clever adaptive PV facade
The Energy Brick preserves the aesthetics of a brick facade and combines it with the benefits of building-integrated photovoltaics. As designers, they had noticed that solar panels available in the market do not offer much architectural flexibility. This modular approach makes it possible to achieve many different brick patterns, with an array of coloured finishes, and ‘mortar’ lines to suit every architectural design. The idea is for brick buildings to retain their old-world charm while advancing towards a solar-powered future.
