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Photovoltaics is today one of the key pillars of sustainable energy. Yet many people still associate it with typical dark panels installed mainly on the roofs of houses or industrial halls. However, current developments show that solar technology can take on a completely different form—one that is aesthetically adapted, colorful, and visually integrated into modern buildings.
Student Stanislav Kalousek, FEEC BUT. | Author: Jakub Rozboud
The possibilities of producing colored photovoltaic modules are the focus of a master’s thesis by student Stanislav Kalousek at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication at Brno University of Technology (FEEC BUT). The work was created at the Department of Electrotechnology, where the student, under the supervision of Jiří Vaněk, explores technologies enabling the application of colors and patterns to photovoltaic modules while also evaluating their impact on performance.
“I wanted to focus on an area that connects renewable energy sources with real-world use in environments where people consider not only functionality but also appearance. Photovoltaics must also be visually acceptable,” explains Stanislav Kalousek.
Photovoltaic modules as part of modern buildings
Colored and design-modified modules are increasingly being used, especially in the field of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). In such cases, panels are not merely an “added” technical element but become a direct part of façades or roofs.
“Nowadays, it is no longer true that a photovoltaic module must be just a dark rectangle on a roof. Today, it is possible to adapt photovoltaic modules so that they can be installed on roofs, façades, and other locations according to requirements, without disrupting the architecture or with minimal visual impact,” describes the author.
This approach makes it possible to use solar energy even in places where installations previously faced aesthetic or heritage-related limitations. Interest in such solutions is therefore growing not only among homeowners but also in public buildings and corporate facilities.
Stanislav Kalousek and Jiří Vaněk on the roof of FEEC BUT. | Author: Jakub Rozboud
Technology of colored modules and their limitations
The most widespread method of visual modification is direct glass printing, which allows the application of colored surfaces, patterns, or even photographic motifs. Techniques such as screen printing with ceramic paints or digital UV printing are used. “The advantage is high durability and long service life. The colors are stable and do not fade even after years of operation, and manufacturers typically provide long warranties for these modules,” says Kalousek.
However, any alteration of the module’s optical properties also affects the amount of light reaching the photovoltaic cells, leading to a reduction in performance. “The disadvantage is a drop in performance, because the colored layer blocks or reflects part of the light. This loss mainly depends on the shade and density of the color. However, modern technologies can still achieve relatively good original efficiency for some colors, which is sufficient for most applications and opens the door to new opportunities,” adds the author.
The thesis also examined how different shades affect energy output. Dark colors can result in significantly greater performance losses compared to lighter shades, which have a smaller impact.
Collaboration with industry and future potential
The practical part of the thesis was developed in cooperation with the company FRAJT s.r.o., which supplied photovoltaic modules and printed glass samples for measurement. This allowed the author to statistically evaluate the real impact of design modifications on electrical parameters. “It was very important to connect theoretical research with practical measurements. Thanks to this, we were able to show that glass printing has a measurable impact mainly on current and power parameters,” explains Kalousek.
Supervisor Jiří Vaněk sees the topic as an important step toward broader use of renewable energy sources: “Colored photovoltaics can significantly help make solar technologies a common part of the urban environment. If we can minimize performance losses, there is great potential for widespread use on the façades of public buildings,” he says.
The results of the thesis show that there are glass variants where performance loss is relatively small, representing a suitable compromise between aesthetics and energy efficiency. Colored photovoltaic modules thus demonstrate that sustainability does not have to mean a uniform appearance of technical installations. On the contrary, modern development makes it possible to combine clean energy with design so that solar elements naturally become part of our everyday environment.
Responsibility: Bc. Tereza Kučerová