Opes Solar Mobility has opened a 12,000 square meter facility near Leipzig, Germany, to produce flexible photovoltaic modules for commercial and recreational vehicles, supplying partners throughout Europe, Africa and South America.
Opes Solar Mobility has opened what it says is Europe’s first production facility for vehicle-integrated solar photovoltaics (VIPV) in Zwenkau, near Leipzig, Germany. The facility, approximately 12,000 square meters in size, will produce flexible photovoltaic modules for commercial and recreational vehicles and is expected to create approximately 120 jobs.
The modules are designed for various vehicle types, including campers, refrigerated trailers, public transport buses and truck cabs. They supply electric consumers in both diesel and electric vehicles with solar energy to increase range and battery life.
The company reports that initial deliveries will go to more than 15 partners and customers in Europe, Africa and South America, with additional collaborations planned.
Opes Solar Mobility developed the technology together with partners including the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (Fraunhofer CSP) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).
The production uses Opes Solar Mobility’s patented matrix architecture, in which solar cells are connected to each other in a mesh-like grid. This design reduces yield losses due to partial shading caused by roof structures, shade or dirt, and improves the module’s resistance to vibration and shock during driving.
“We are industrializing a new technology that is already generating broad international demand,” says Robert Handel, director of Opes Solar Mobility.
According to Martin Heinrich from Fraunhofer ISE, the technical potential for PV modules in commercial vehicles across the European Union is around 70 GW, equivalent to around six million trucks and 30 million vans.
“The average savings potential per vehicle is 10% to 15% of CO2 emissions,” says Heinrich.
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