London-based solar company, Solarcentury has launched a new building-integrated PV (BIPV) roof system that is designed to compete on price with traditional on-roof solar.
The company claims that its new Sunstation system is the result of Solarcentury’s decade-long experience in the BIPV market combined with feedback from installers. The all-black Sunstation system sits low to the roof battens, making the installation flush with the roof.
Solarcentury claims that the product’s lack of sub-frame allows the system to be installed in a day. The company claims that an average Sunsystem boasts half the number of parts of a traditional on-roof system.
Frans van den Heuvel, CEO at Solarcentury explained why the company believes the time is right for BIPV, he said: “We have pioneered BIPV since the early days of solar; in 2005 we launched C21e, our range of BIPV solar tiles and slates that has already won numerous awards including the Queen’s award for Innovation. Now ten years on, and with huge technological improvements as the BIPV market matures, Sunstation sets the bar for what installers and consumers can expect from roof solar systems. It proves that residential solar can be easy to install, can look great on the roof and it’s affordable too.”
Solarcentury has shifted the production of the new Sunstation system onto the main PV factory line, a move that has allowed the company to price the system in competition with on-roof solar systems.
Jon Sturgeon, head of product development at Solarcentury explained the company’s thinking behind the new line. He said: “Our research tells us that 90% of installers believe there will be considerably more adoption of BIPV if the price matches on-roof systems. We also know that homeowners have always wanted a solar option that preserves the look of their roof. That’s why we have designed Sunstation using sleek black modules that sit completely flush with the roof. Now available without the premium price tag of other BIPV products, Sunstation is ready for mass-market adoption.”
Solarcentury expects to make the Sunstation system available from July 2015.
The video below outlines the installation process for the Sunstation system:
WebVid-1 english-v1 from Solarcentury on Vimeo.