The other day I wrote about solar shingles, a type of PV rooftop solar to make solar look good, or just look better, depending on whom you ask.
Because of that story, we got contacted about another company also concerned with offering customers more solar eye candy, which in their case translates as colored solar panels that come in a range of colors.
The company in question is Lof Solar, based in Taiwan, which claims to have developed “the first ever high efficiency color solar cell in the world”. It says its conversion efficiency is 30% higher than what the competition offers, or 15%, as confirmed by the Institute for Solar Energy in Germany (Fraunhofer ISE). Called C-Cell, it comes in colors such as green, purple, red and gray, amongst others.
Lof, which exhibited its wares at Solar Power International in Los Angeles between October 12 -14, explains that solar cells could only be produced in indigo hues because of the antireflection film coated on the cell surface, which limited its use in aesthetic design.
Besides good looks, the company also promises longevity. C-Cell’s lifetime goes beyond 25 years, Lof claims.
The colored solar panels are available in Europe through E+ Color.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
