SWISS SOLAR PRIZE GOES TO SPORTS GYM IN VISP FEATURING KYOCERA SOLAR MODULES

The Swiss Solar Prize is awarded annually to people or institutions involved in the promotion of solar energy. Under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the prize is given for buildings that have been innovatively and optimally designed in regard to energy usage, and for the best installations in the field of renewable energies.

This year’s prize winner in Visp, in the canton of Valais, installed Kyocera solar modules on three roof surfaces, each at a 15-degree incline, of a partitioned gymnasium facility. They were mounted by TRITEC Services AG. The modules are smoothly integrated into the facade and blend in with the overall architecture. The building, which is both aesthetically and architecturally pleasing, is supplied with approximately 140,000 kWh of energy per year from the 145 kW PV system. Despite the relatively shady conditions, the system covers around 41 percent of the gymnasium’s electricity needs. “We deliberately selected solar modules from Kyocera as we had to guarantee the highest possible energy efficiency and module durability as a result of the unique location of the building,” said Adrian Wyssbrod, head of the project at TRITEC.

And that’s something that the new hailstorm test from TÜV Rheinland confirms. As hail is one the most costly causes of damage to PV systems in Germany, insurance providers and project planners are increasingly calling for stricter test conditions. As a result, TÜV Rheinland carried out tests with hailstones three times the previous mass and with almost four times the kinetic energy.* All of Kyocera’s solar modules passed the TÜV test without any problems and even exceed Swiss hail resistance class 3 requirements.

Moreover, Kyocera’s solar modules, produced in Kadan, Czech Republic, are the first in the world to have passed TÜV’s long-term sequential test and continue to feature incredibly high mechanical resistance (5,400 N/m²). That’s the reason why PV systems from Kyocera are especially suited to locations subject to extreme weather and difficult light conditions — as is the case in the Swiss Alps. Kyocera believes that taking care of the entire value-added chain in its vertically integrated production process is the key to its success. It ensures that Kyocera is able to guarantee consistent quality and performance.

*The photovoltaic modules were hit with 35-millimeter hailstones, corresponding to IEC 61215, at a speed of 27.2 meters per second. The standard test is conducted using 25-millimeter hailstones at a speed of 23 meters per second. More information can be found here:
www.tuv.com/de/deutschland/ueber_uns/presse/meldungen/newscontentde_174018.html

For more information about Kyocera: www.kyocera.eu