Buildings designed for the future with photovoltaic living lab

The living laboratory at HZB went into operation about 3 years ago and since then, the photovoltaic facade has been generating electricity from sunlight, reaching the milestone of 100 megawatt-hours on September 27th 2024. 

This living lab is is a research building on the BESSY II location in Berlin Adlershof equipped with a photovoltaic facade providing insights into building-integrated photovoltaics. A total of 360 frameless, blue-coated modules were installed on the south, west, and north facades of the building and particular emphasis was placed on ensuring the solar facade elements are aesthetically pleasing.

The living laboratory is equipped with 120 measuring points and sensors for monitoring among others temperature, solar radiation and ventilation. This allows the behaviour of the solar modules and the entire PV facade system to be evaluated under different seasonal and weather conditions over a long period.

Solar facades offer untapped potential for generating clean electricity. How much they actually deliver and which environmental factors play a role are being studied at HZB's real laboratory. 

This amount of energy is enough to supply a four-person household in Germany with clean electricity for 30 years. At HZB, the electricity generated by the laboratory’s solar facade is used entirely on-site, which makes the facility particularly economical. According to initial estimates, the additional costs compared to a conventional facade have amortized after 18 years.