Spotted: Although organic solar cells – those that use carbon-based materials and organic molecules – are one of the greenest solar cell technologies, manufacturing them still relies on carcinogenic petrochemical processes. With the health of workers and the planet in mind, researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia have replaced the toxic solvents with plant-derived alternatives.
By applying a framework called the Hansen solubility formulation, the KAUST team searched for a new solvent that was similar on a molecular level to the toxic solvent presently used for organic solar cells. With this, they found that plant-based solvents called terpenes could suitably replace them without impacting the cells’ light-capturing performance.
Daniel Corzo, a PhD student in Derya Baran’s lab, who led the work, said: “We obtained solar cells with efficiencies above 16 per cent using terpene-based inks — essentially the same as from chlorinated solvents — but with an 85 per cent lower carbon footprint and with the potential to become carbon negative in the future.”
In a bid for their discovery to make an impact, the KAUST researchers have made their findings freely available in an interactive library for green solvent selection.
Springwise has previously spotted other innovations aimed at improving solar energy, from replacing silver with copper in solar panel production, to a startup that hopes to divert solar projects to more impactful sites.
Multicoloured solar panels act like roof tiles on top of the Solar Pavilion, a gathering space at this year’s Dutch Design Week created by local firm V8 Architects and design practice Marjan van Aubel Studio.
The pavilion was designed to resemble a giant beach chair, in a nod to the fact that the pavilion offers visitors a place to rest after seeing the designs on display at the design festival last week.
The roof of the Solar Pavilion was formed from colourful photovoltaic panels
Masts, tension wires and reclaimed floor beams made from untreated steel supported the Solar Pavilion’s swooping roof.
Underneath, triangular timber sections were slotted into the corners of the steel beams to serve as seating, while a circular bench designed by Marjan van Aubel Studio occupied the centre of the space.
The pavilion was presented at Dutch Design Week
Two sets of stairs lead visitors to an opening in the curved roof, featuring 380 blue, orange and red photovoltaic panels that were mounted much like traditional roof tiles.
The panels produced approximately 7.5 kilowatts of energy at peak performance while on display at the design event, according to V8 Architects.
This energy was fed into an on-site battery and used at night to power lighting and electric heating panels mounted on the underside of the pavilion, mimicking the sensation of sitting in the sun during the day.
“Currently, energy is only harvested in a techno-functional way,” said V8 Architects co-founder Michiel Raaphorst. “We explore how to integrate the sun’s energy into our daily lives so that we can love and embrace it.”
The pavilion’s structure was intentionally left exposed so that visitors could visually understand how it works.
The energy harvested by the solar panels was used to light and heat the pavilion
This also made the structure reversible, so it could be easily disassembled and its parts reused after the event.
“It was planned that all materials would return to the companies that provided them,” V8 Architects told Dezeen.
“However, multiple parties have shown interest in the pavilion including a large festival. We are looking into different options at the moment.”
380 solar panels made up the pavilion’s canopy
The Solar Pavilion is also the final piece of the Solar Biennale – a month-long event organised by van Aubel and Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen to envision a future where everything is solar-powered.
“Solar energy needs a new, more personal perspective that is part of our culture,” explained Marjan van Aubel. “This pavilion demonstrates that solar energy can be experienced and used in a new way.”
“The pavilion is a sensory experience and, during Dutch Design Week, the place to poetically experience the harvesting of solar energy.”
Other designs that were on show at Dutch Design Week included a series of lampshades made from mushroom mycelium by Tallinn-based materials company Myceen and a rug that visualises the consequences of drought caused by climate change.
The photography is by Aiste Rakauskaite.
Solar Pavilion was on show from 21 to 30 October as part of Dutch Design Week 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
paseo mallorca 15 by ohlab: a new landmark in palma, spain
Sited in the sun-blessed and tree-lined promenade of Paseo Mallorca, overlooking the Riera water course, this new residential complex by OHLAB is set to become a landmark in the city of Palma, Spain. The building holds an eye-catching and unusual wooden facade design that takes sustainability, energy efficiency, urban integration, quality of materials, and comfort to new levels. Upon entering Paseo Mallorca 15, one is greeted by a green wall of Spanish cane (Arundo Donax), typical of the Mediterranean riverbed, and a nod to the Riera. This section leads onto a multi-leveled inner courtyard, where a cooling oasis of vegetation invites calm and tranquility. The foliage continues upwards until it reaches the landscaped terraces with pools on the building’s fourth, sixth and eighth floors.
Complementing the green layer is a gentle waterfall that cascades to the floor below, cooling the area in the summer through evapotranspiration and creating a relaxing sound. The inner courtyard also provides lighting and vegetation to the basement, which houses the residents’ pool, gym, and spa, transforming the complex into a unifying vertical axis linking the vegetation and enabling cross-ventilation through the garden for all apartments.
The residents’ spa area, with walls and floors finished in natural stone, includes a heated indoor pool, steam bath, and changing rooms. Next to the pool is the gym, with large windows overlooking the courtyard garden. Finally, the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 are true urban havens above the city, with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools from where residents can admire the panoramic views of Palma rooftops and the three-lined walk along Riera.
Two types of facades define the outside of Paseo Mallorca 15. The first is a solid, gray stone facade found on the perimeter areas, facing the quieter streets where the bedrooms are located; it provides the necessary protection and defines the area containing the private rooms. Meanwhile, on the side overlooking Paseo Mallorca, the sunniest part, is a second skin made of moving wooden slat panels that block out the sun in the summer, making the most of its rays in the winter, and mark the transition between the home and its surroundings. In addition, that double facade is fitted with large windows for residents to take advantage of the views and enjoy the deciduous trees and winter sun.
‘It is an organic, permeable, and changing layer, an exterior reflection of its interior, a solar filter to modulate light and shade, optimized through solar studies, which adapts to the different climate needs and draws upon the tradition of Majorcan pergolas and shutters,’ writes the OHLAB team.
the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools
quality materials meets passive house standards
The selection of natural and local materials, highlighting the essence of the Mediterranean, was a critical process for the architects. ‘Finishes have been carefully selected for their quality, taking every detail, texture, and smell into account,’ notes OHLAB. Indeed, a simple palette of fine materials, such as solid doors made of local stone or pieces of aged bronze, characterizes the interiors of the homes at Paseo Mallorca 15.
As modeled through its unique second skin feature, the project was designed following Passive House standards to achieve maximum energy efficiency and a heating/air-conditioning demand of only 15kWh/(m2y). This means a reduction of almost 90% in terms of air heating and cooling requirements compared to a conventional building, resulting in extremely low energy costs for the owner and the planet. In addition, this construction method falls within the nZEB (nearly zero energy building) standard for consumption.
second skin facade made of sliding wooden slat panels
entrance to the residential complex
a green wall of Spanish cane welcomes residents upon entry to the building
common pool at the basement level
private kitchen area
the second skin casting soothing shadows onto a living room
architecture & interiors: OHLAB | @ohlab_architecture OHLAB team: Paloma Hernaiz, Jaime Oliver, Rebeca Lavín, Robin Harloff, Pedro Rodríguez, Silvia Morais, Mercé Solar, Loreto Angulo, M.Bruna Pisciotta, Tomislav Konjevod, José Allona, Claudio Tagarelli, Eleni Oikonomaki, Agustín Verdejo, Luis Quiles
landscape architecture: Jonathan Bell building engineer: Bartolomeu Tous structural engineering consultant:HIMA Estructuras wooden facade: GRUPO GUBIA facilities engineering: M&E Engineering engineering consultants: AMM Technical group energy efficiency advisor: José Manuel Busquets, Anne Vogt
A moving wall that evokes a sailing ship and a roof canopy modelled on a banana tree feature in this roundup, which collects 10 buildings that challenge conventional ways of fitting solar panels to help kick off our Solar Revolution series.
Solar panels, also known as photovoltaics or solar electricity cells, are becoming an increasingly common sight in our built environment.
Traditionally installed in the form of rooftop arrays, they capture energy from the sun and convert it into renewable electricity. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity the panels generate.
While it is not uncommon for solar cells to be installed as an afterthought, this roundup demonstrates how architects are getting creative with the technology, making it a key feature in their designs without compromising on aesthetics.
Read on for 10 buildings completed and upcoming that incorporate solar panels in creative ways:
Photo is by Iwan Baan
Bay View, USA, by BIG and Heatherwick Studio
A “dragonscale solar skin” forms the roof of Google’s Bay View campus, which BIG and Heatherwick Studio recently completed in Silicon Valley.
The undulating structure is built from 50,000 solar panels that generate almost seven megawatts of energy, amounting to 40 per cent of the building’s total energy needs.
Find out more about Bay View ›
Photo courtesy of Marjan van Aubel
The Dutch Biotope, UAE, by V8 Architects with Marjan van Aubel
A colourful skylight formed of translucent photovoltaics crowned The Dutch Biotope pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, casting pink and blue light below like a stained glass window.
Created by V8 Architects the structure incorporates skylights designed by Marjan Van Aubel to show how solar technology could be used as “a form of art” while providing renewable energy.
Find out more about The Dutch Biotope ›
Render is courtesy of MVRDV
LAD headquarters, China, by MVRDV
MVRDV has reimagined a traditional solar canopy in its design of this office building, which it is currently developing for agriculture company LAD in Shanghai.
Its swooping roof structure will be left open on one side but covered in solar cells on the other in a bid to provide renewable energy for the building and minimise its operational carbon footprint.
Find out more about LAD headquarters ›
Photo is by Ivar Kvaal
Powerhouse Telemark, Norway, by Snøhetta
Snøhetta used photovoltaics to cover the angular roof and south-facing facade of the carbon-negative Powerhouse Telemark office in Porsgrunn.
While contributing to the structure’s “clearly identifiable expression”, the studio said the system generates approximately 256,000 kilowatts of renewable energy each year, compensating for the carbon that the building will consume over a 60-year lifespan.
Find out more about Powerhouse Telemark ›
Photo is by Bob Ditty
Mount Sinai Kyabirwa Surgical Facility in Uganda by Kliment Halsband Architects
Slender tree-like columns support the wavy solar canopy that sweeps over this health facility in Uganda, designed by Kliment Halsband Architects.
While providing energy for the building, the canopy also shelters its outdoor spaces in a nod to banana plants growing in the area. “We thought of solar panels as leaves of banana plants gathering sun and providing shade,” the studio explained.
Find out more about Mount Sinai Kyabirwa Surgical Facility in Uganda ›
Render is courtesy of Kennon
550 Spencer, Australia, by Kennon
More than 1,000 solar electric panels that resemble glass will form the facade for this office tower, which Australian studio Kennon recently proposed for Melbourne.
The technology, named Skala, is produced by German company Avancis and has never been used in Australia before. It is designed to replace traditional rooftop arrays and will free up space for a garden on top of the building instead.
Find out more about 550 Spencer ›
Photo is by Didier Boy de la Tour
La Seine Musical, France, by Shigeru Ban
A wall of photovoltaic panels follows the path of the sun at La Seine Musical, a glazed music complex near Paris designed by Shigeru Ban.
Mounted on rails, the sail-like wall is designed to resemble a ship circulating the ovoid structure. This movement also ensures the lobby behind is shaded from direct sunlight over the course of the day.
Find out more about La Seine Musical ›
Photo is by Adam Mørk
Copenhagen International School for Nordhavn, Denmark, by CF Møller
Architecture studio CF Møller disguised 12,000 solar panels as blue cladding at the Copenhagen International School for Nordhavn to mirror its waterfront site.
The panels are arranged in a way that creates a sequin-like effect across the exterior and generates over 50 per cent of the electricity needed to power the building annually.
Find out more about Copenhagen International School for Nordhavn ›
Render is courtesy of MVRDV
Sun Rock, Taiwan, by MVRDV
A rounded form sheathed in photovoltaics will define Sun Rock, an office and operations facility that MVRDV is developing for power company Taipower in Taiwan.
The studio designed its bulbous form to maximise the amount of sunlight its facade can harness throughout the day and, in turn, create enough energy to make the building self-sufficient.
Find out more about Sun Rock ›
Photo is by Ivar Kvaal
Powerhouse Brattørkaia, Norway, by Snøhetta
Three thousand square metres of solar cells envelop this office, another Powerhouse by Snøhetta that produces twice the amount of energy it uses.
Its steep and angular exterior is the result of the limited daylight hours in the city, as it helps maximise sun exposure and allows the panels to harvest as much solar energy as possible before dark.
This article is part of Dezeen’s Solar Revolution series, which explores the varied and exciting possible uses of solar energy and how humans can fully harness the incredible power of the sun.
