Easily retrofittable prototype developed for the combined generation of electricity and heat from industrial façade surfaces
Photovoltaic thermal systems
Successful project completion
On 30 March 2026, Wolfgang Schubert, Chairman of the Elstatik Foundation, and Beate Schubert visited the Faculty of Engineering at HTWK Leipzig to gain an impression of the funded project to develop organic PVT modules.
Professor Mathias Rudolph and his team presented the results of the successfully completed FiPVT "Façade-integrated photovoltaic thermal technology" research project, including a live demonstration of the prototype developed.
The prototype | Façade-integrated photovoltaic thermal energy
As part of the FiPVT project, Daniel Erhardt developed a façade-integrated photovoltaic thermal collector (PVT collector) for industrial applications in his bachelor's thesis. The aim of the project was to develop a retrofittable, cost-effective and lightweight PVT collector specifically for industrial façades with trapezoidal sandwich panels. Organic photovoltaic modules (OPV modules), which are hydrocarbon-based and therefore do not use environmentally harmful materials such as lead, cadmium and silicon, were deliberately used. Their low weight and flexibility make installation considerably easier and make them particularly suitable for use on building façades.
The prototype developed consists of sandwich panels measuring 1.0 m × 2.4 m, to which an aluminium sheet is first applied, onto which the OPV modules are glued directly. The indentations in the panels created by the trapezoidal profile serve as natural air ducts through which the heat generated by the module can be dissipated. A fan drives the air flow, whereby volume flow, temperatures as well as electrical power, voltage and current are recorded and analysed using suitable sensor technology. The scientific monitoring and analysis was carried out by young scientists who supported the construction and experiments and analysed the data collected.
The Elstatik Foundation
The Elstatik Foundation, founded by Sylvia and Günter Lüttgens, promotes research and science in the fields of static electricity and electrical energy efficiency. It provides around 35,000 euros annually for this purpose. The foundation provided funding totalling 9,000 euros for the FiPVT project. In addition to "FiPVT", the foundation has previously supported projects such as "Organic Photovoltaic", "OptiPlant", "Solar Web Optimisation", "Switch-based Optimisation of Photovoltaic Systems" and "Energy Harvesting in Practical Application".
