HelioVolt Corp., Austin, Texas, and Architectural Glass & Aluminum Co., Alameda, Calif., have partnered to develop and manufacture building integrated photovoltaic products. The joint offering will incorporate high-quality solar energy systems directly into standardized curtainwall products, the exterior glass façades that dominate modern urban construction. By embedding PV thin film into building materials, the solar enabled curtainwalls are designed to improve aesthetics, simplify installation and reduce operating costs for solar energy in new construction.
“Driven by the inherent value of being able to generate clean electricity at the same place it’s being consumed, the market fordistributed solar energy is developing at breakneck speed,” said HelioVolt CEO BJ Stanbery. “In addition to offering advances over the typical solar panel products that dominate the market today, HelioVolt’s manufacturing process enables next generation smart building materials capable of powering cities of the future.”
Said Joe Brescia, CEO of Architectural Glass & Aluminum, “AGA has a 40-year history of delivering specialized curtainwall products and services to our customers throughout the western United States. This new solar-enabled product line will add value and innovation to our already trusted offering. HelioVolt’s unique manufacturing process and quality of the resulting CIGS thin film make the company a valued partner as we move into a new category of BIPV products.”
