From pv magazine France
The surface area of zinc roofs in France is considerable, particularly in Paris where 70% of roofs are covered with this material, representing nearly 22 million square meters.
With this in mind, French startup Créawatt has developed an ultra-light and self-attaching photovoltaic solution that takes into account the constraints inherent to this particularly fragile material.
Without a frame or glass, the Luxsiol system weighs only 3.25 kg/m2, making it suitable for flat roofs made of bitumen, PVC, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), or T333/T250 steel sheet. The system is based on low-carbon monocrystalline PERC panels of 430 W and a self-gripping fastener that is reportedly capable of withstanding winds of 280 km/h.
It is fire-resistant and guaranteed for 20 years.
“Sensitive to heat, zinc is a material that expands a lot and is difficult to fix without risk of damaging the roof,” Créawatt's general director, Laurent Mimaud, told pv magazine France. “We worked on special glues so that our grip system adheres perfectly to the surface and offers good temperature resistance. We also designed and designed a specific solar panel, adapted to the dimensions of the zinc sheets and laminated by our Asian partner based on precise specifications.
The 520 W panels measure 2.290 m x 396 mm x 2 mm and are equipped with M10 half-cells. They are assembled in France in the Créawatt factory located in Amilly (Loiret).
“To integrate photovoltaics into our territories, we need to go into niches, finding all sorts of possible applications and adapting products to specific requirements,” said Mimaud.
The system is offered in full black to comply with the recommendations of the French building trade body Association des Bâtiments de France. Italian insurer Generali has validated its insurability in civil applications.
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