16th October 2023
The dark blue solar modules, which were installed as part of the overall renovation of the building, are custom-made so that they blend inconspicuously into the facade. According to the architects of SPPA Architekten, this is the first time that a building project with PV facade elements has been approved in the core zone of the city of Zurich. Photo credits: SPPA Architekten.
The fifth Symposium Solar Architecture was successfully held on the 26th of September. About 120 people participated at the event in Zurich while a further 30 attendees opted to follow the online Livestream.
The participants had the chance of taking home in-depth knowledge and new impressions of solar architecture as well as expand their network of contacts.
The guided tour of the SUVA building in Dreikönigstrasse, located on the left bank of the Schanzengraben, was much appreciated. It’s a classic building from the sixties which has been completely renovated. The skeleton of the building was maintained, whereas the east and west facades were ‘activated’ through the installation of photovoltaic modules with an opaque glass finish integrated into the horizontal stringcourses.
Besides the presentation of various successful BIPV projects during the symposium, it was also discussed how the photovoltaic facades are to be designed taking into account fire protection requirements. There is therefore high anticipation for the forthcoming Swissolar publication, in collaboration with VKF (Vereinigung Kantonaler Feuerversicherungen), of a guideline for planning photovoltaic installations on facades, as an interim solution until a state of the art (Stand-der-Technik-Papier – STP) document will be officially available.
