The French companies Le Triangle Horizon and SunStyle International offer a new carport based on solar tiles for areas protected by environmental regulations.
SunStyle International, a French solar tile manufacturer, has collaborated with Triangle Horizon, a metal structure construction company focused on solar photovoltaics, to design a solar carport for environmentally protected areas.
The carport has a steel structure and offers six configurations, from Y-shaped posts to butterfly designs and half canopies, with powder-coated finishes available in a range of colours.
“The specifications were not intended to change the original design of the metal structure,” said Stéphane Garson, director of SunStyle International. pv magazine France. “So we started with our metal mounting, which we integrated directly into the awnings.”
The two companies installed a 33kW solar demonstration carport on the Triangle industrial estate, where they tested it for six months. The system uses French-made solar panels produced in Loir-et-Cher, each consisting of 23 passivated emitter and rear cell solar cells (PERC). These tiles are available in black (115 Wc), terracotta (85 Wc) and gray (85 Wc) to integrate with natural landscapes and blend into environments with terracotta, zinc or slate roofs. Garson said the company is even working on developing transparent solar tiles.
The tiles, which come with a 25-year warranty, feature a layer of 6mm textured, solar-tempered glass and are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions such as wind, hail and snow. Inspired by traditional slate roofs, SunStyle solar tiles have captured the attention of architects, design firms and building managers, with notable installations at Google’s California campus and the France Pavilion at the Dubai 2020 World Expo.
SunStyle and Triangle Horizon want to tap into an important niche market with their metal carport made of solar tiles. This solution focuses on areas where traditional solar energy technologies are limited or prohibited by urban planning regulations. The carport is also eligible for the French integration bonus for landscape architecture, which encourages the development of photovoltaic roofs that meet specific aesthetic standards.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
