Photovoltaic glass is glazing used as part of a solar-energy assembly: a coated glass construction that collects solar energy and supplies it to a power-generating system. Low-iron glass is placed over the solar cells so that a high proportion of the available sunlight can reach them.
Low-iron cover glass
The reduced iron content supports high solar-light transmission, making low-iron glass suitable as the cover layer above photovoltaic cells. The glass protects the cell assembly while allowing the solar energy needed for generation to pass through.
The low-iron cover glass is tempered. This heat-treatment step increases resistance to wind pressure and helps the glass accommodate the large temperature changes that can occur between day and night. The complete photovoltaic assembly still needs to be designed around the required module, structure, support system and site conditions.
Building applications
Photovoltaic glass can be integrated into curtain walls, photovoltaic roofs and solar-shading installations, as well as used in dedicated solar-power systems. This allows the power-generating element to form part of the building envelope or an external shading system instead of remaining a separate ground-mounted component.
Installation formats
Exposed-frame and concealed-frame installation are both available approaches. The glass can also be coordinated with the profiles used by the wider curtain-wall system. Frame type, profile compatibility, glass build-up and the connection to the photovoltaic system should be established as part of the project design before fabrication.