Dresden, August 22, 2024 – Sunmaxx PVT GmbH, the leading developer and manufacturer of photovoltaic-thermal hybrid modules, is intensifying its existing partnership with GES Gebäude- und Energiesysteme GmbH. The aim of the cooperation is to make building façade surfaces usable for heat generation.
The demand for photovoltaic-thermal modules for facade systems is increasing rapidly, yet they pose a particular challenge due to the steep mounting angle. Because PVT modules, unlike conventional PV, are equipped with a heat exchanger on the back of the module, a special substructure including piping is required for installation. This is precisely where Sunmaxx and GES Gebäude- und Energiesysteme GmbH come in: with their combined expertise in the areas of photovoltaic-thermal hybrid technology and building-integrated PV, the two companies want to meet the demand for facade PVT modules.
GES Gebäude- und Energiesysteme GmbH is one of the oldest solar module producers on the European market. The company, based in Korbußen near Gera, is one of the leading experts in the field of integrating solar modules into the façades and roofs of buildings — from new builds to listed buildings and historical monuments. In particular, GES – GmbH manufactures modules with customer-specific requirements, special modules and shading slats in accordance with the standards and static specifications required in construction. Joachim Höhne and Hans-Uwe Florstedt, both Managing Directors of GES GmbH, comment on the cooperation: “With Sunmaxx as a cooperation partner, we are entering a new market. We see great potential in the PVT system with combined power and heat generation in the façade application area and are very much looking forward to the collaboration and future projects.”
The development and subsequent supply of these “facade PVT modules” by GES GmbH will enable Sunmaxx to expand its product portfolio and build up an additional customer base. At the same time, the cooperation between the Thuringian and Saxon companies represents an opportunity for eastern Germany as a solar and business location.
Dr. Wilhelm Stein, Managing Director of Sunmaxx, states: “Thanks to GES’s many years of experience in the field of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), we can close the gap in the market for PVT in the façade segment. The integration of PVT modules into building façades is a promising addition to our portfolio and we are delighted to be working with an experienced company from the region.”
GES GmbH specializes in manufacturing modules with customer-specific requirements and special modules as well as shading slats in accordance with the standards and static specifications required in construction. The reproduction of older, crystalline PV modules from various manufacturers can also be found in the GES GmbH portfolio. Another feature of the Thuringian company is the development of new PV modules/laminates for individual requirements. In this context, GES GmbH was significantly involved in the new development of the PVT hybrid module from Sunmaxx. The first prototypes and the pilot series of these new module types for use as rooftop systems were created in a joint collaboration.
About Sunmaxx PVT
Sunmaxx is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of PVT hybrid modules. Through anew technology patented by the company, Sunmaxx is able to simplify and automate the previously complex production processes for PVT modules for the first time.
With an annual volume of 50 MW, Sunmaxx has the world’s largest PVT mass production of its kind and its modules offer an attractively priced solution for driving forward decarbonization projects in the heating sector— from private single-family homes to large industrial plants, including the provision of process heat, through to complete heating networks. Sunmaxx PVT modules can also be used to regenerate ice storage systems and geothermal probes as well as for the passive cooling of buildings.
About GES Gebäude- und Energiesysteme GmbH
GES Gebäude- und Energiesysteme GmbH (formerly GSS Gebäude-Solar Systeme GmbH) has been active as a producer of solar modules since 1992 and is particularly active in the field of roof and facade integration. With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing solar modules with crystalline solar cells, GES GmbH is an interesting partner for the development of new products.
The first SunPower modules for the European market were produced by GES GmbH and fulfilled all the test criteria valid at the time (DIN standards for photovoltaics). Successful collaborations with Siemens/Shell Solar (production of solar laminates for the world’s largest PV in-roof system in 2000), Ersol GmbH, Q-Cells GmbH and Sunways GmbH were further milestones in the development of GES GmbH. The acquisition of the “multi-wire technology” from Day4 (now Meyer Burger Technology AG) in 2010 was a further positive and successful step in the application of this technology in the facade sector, an architecturally sophisticated solution.