PHOTOVOLTAICS | MATERIALS
Shining light: plastics in solar applications
The flexibility and growing efficiency of plastic-based solar cells has expanded their use in industry – where they can compete effectively with traditional silicon-based devices
The increasing sophistication of organic photovol- taics (OPV) – in which specialist plastics replace silicon to convert light into electricity – means these devices are finding more widespread commercial use, underpinned by advances in the underlying technology. Heliatek has recently installed its HeliaSol
organic solar cells at three different locations in Germany. At Andritz Separation in Vierkirchen, it has fitted a photovoltaic installation that uses both roof and façade areas for energy generation. In total, 318 solar modules were installed. Of
these, 270 are mounted on the building façade and 48 on the flat roof. By combining vertical and horizontal surfaces, the building can use multiple areas for electricity generation and exploit the available surface potential. Installation was com- pleted within one week. The flat roof served as a pilot area. The aim was to
gain experience on this surface and – based on these results – potentially expand the system in future. Heliatek says the project shows how solar solutions can be flexibly integrated into existing buildings – even in industrial environments. Meanwhile, at BMW’s vehicle plant in Dingolfing, the sun-facing facades of three 45m high towers were fitted with HeliaSol modules. The modules are light and flexible, and ideal for building surfaces that are unsuited for standard solar panels. The system has a capacity of around 22 kWp and is directly used in the Dingolfing plant’s operations. The modules are fixed directly to the concrete facades, which avoids the need to construct additional, dedicated solar areas such as solar farms.
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“We are supporting an
innovative technology in its development and industrialisation phase and verifying it in practice at our plant,” said Christoph Schröder, plant manager at BMW in Dingolfing. The technology also has a fast energy- and carbon-payback time (EPBT and CPBT). After a short operating time, the modules have already generated the energy needed for their manufactur- ing – meaning the CO2 has been offset, helping that building owners to reduce their CO2 footprint. These short energy and carbon payback times
are possible due to the efficient use of material, the material composition and mild temperature manufacturing and installation process of Heli- aSol® solar films, which does not require glass or heavy support structures. Furthermore, no toxic or scarce raw materials are used in the modules. Lars-Oliver Schröder, head of sales and market-
ing at Heliatek, added: “This collaboration enables us to evaluate the integration of our PV film into existing industrial plants during ongoing operations. At Cologne/Bonn Airport, 80 HeliaSol modules
April 2026 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 13
Main image: HeliaTek’s solar modules are flexible
enough to be installed onto curved surfaces
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