The flexible, automated production allows the Swiss project partner Freesuns to produce its newly developed Matrix Grind Dakt tiles on a pilot scale before they go to mass production.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems Ise has collaborated with the Swiss sun roof manufacturer Freesuns to set up a pilot line for PV roof tiles in the research project of Module Technology Evaluation Center (Module-TEC) in Freiburg.
With the flexible, automated production, mills can produce its newly developed Matrix Grind Dakes on a pilot scale before they go to mass production. The production line will produce a total of 4,000 solar roof tiles using the Matrix Shingle technology. Since March 2025, the company has produced the first 800 and is currently installing the roof systems in five existing buildings in Switzerland.
“By producing the first Matrix Shingling Freesuns Solar Tiles in Fraunhofer Ise’s Module TEC, we can work together on production development and demonstrate the big advantage of matrix technology,” said John Morello, founder and CTO of Freesuns. “Our focus on the development of this product is on applications for existing buildings, in particular those mentioned as historical structures.”
The 450 x 510 mm solar tile consists of a glass glass module with topcon sun cells connected in a gravel matrix, with different color options available.
In shingle technology, the solar cell strips are connected to strings with the help of electrically conductive, lead-free adhesives and arranged in an overlapping pattern, such as roof shingles. According to Fraunhofer ISE, PV modules that are produced in this way are more efficient because the flows of the solar cell strips are smaller than in semi-cell modules, the collector’s davages of the solar cells are covered with active cell surface and there are no openings between the solar cells of a string. Fraunhofer Isee adds that the Matrix -Grind concept that the developed still goes one step further: the shingled solar cells are also arranged in a spread pattern. “This makes full, homogeneous coverage of the entire module surface possible, making Matrix grind modules about 4% (relatively) more efficient than conventional semi-celled modules with wire interconnection.”
“Matrix Shingle modules are destined for integrated applications, especially when building facades and, as here, as a photovoltaic tiles on roofs,” said Fraunhofer ISE project manager Torsten Rößler. “This is exactly where maximum space use, shadow tolerance and attractive aesthetics are important.”
The Matrix Shingle technology is characterized by a very high tolerance for partial shade and the arrangement makes the electricity to flow around the shaded areas, so that, depending on the partial shadow, the power can be generated twice compared to conventionally interconnected PV modules.
In the SPHINX project, a consortium of European PV manufacturers and research institutions has set itself the goal of developing cost-effective, rapidly deployable building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) elements using innovative matrix-shingle technology. These modular, prefabricated elements will vary in size and functionality and will be available as a lightweight construction, semi-transparent PV tiles. Thanks to the flexible configuration, the pilot production line at the Fraunhofer ISE module can implement the various prototypes and produce initial small series in an industrial-oriented way.
The new sunshine pans are shown on the Smarter E Europe Trade Show in Munich from 7 to 9 May in the Fraunhofer Ise Booth in Hall A1.
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