PYME INNOVADORA
SOLERTEX Project: Research and development of an advanced photovoltaic fabric for outdoor solutions and applications
July 2018
The SOLERTEX project, with file number RD16-1-0115, has been approved in the 2016 call of the subsidy program for industrial research and experimental development NUCLES of the Agency for the Competitiveness of the Company (ACTION), co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the aim of encouraging industrial research and experimental development activities.
The SOLERTEX project will develop and validate new flexible fabrics (tarpaulins) that incorporate photovoltaic (PV) modules and phase change materials (PCMs) for the manufacture of energy self-sufficient outdoor solar protection products (sunshades, awnings, etc.). The incorporation of the two technologies will increase the energy efficiency of products manufactured using these tarpaulins. In addition, a system will be developed to manage the energy produced by the PV module to power product functions (lighting, smartphone charging, etc.).
IASO, the project coordinator, is a manufacturer of solar protection systems for multiple applications; SAULEDA is a manufacturer of technical fabrics for solar protection and industrial solutions; Ecópolis TECH is a manufacturer of specialties in the area of fluid polymers for various applications; and JVV GRUPO is an engineering and manufacturer of custom electronic engineering projects.
In addition, LEITAT and IREC will collaborate in the consortium by providing technological value to companies in the scientific and technical fields that require it.
The summary of the main results achieved is: SAULEDA has developed a new tarpaulin for exteriors with improved characteristics compared to the existing ones and has provided suitable unfinished tarpaulins to make advanced photovoltaic fabric. ECOPOL has developed phase change materials, adhesives, envelopes and anti-dirt coatings that have been used to make, along with SAULEDA, advanced photovoltaic fabric. JVV GRUP has developed and implemented the energy control and management electronics in the prototype. This electronics are fully functional and also flexible, allowing the incorporation of new functionalities to be implemented in the sunshade such as IoT, charging point, … Finally, IASO has designed and manufactured a prototype sunshade with photovoltaic, the management system and integrated power control and the accessories. The prototype has been implemented in a real environment and it has been validated that it is energy self-sufficient and that the energy management system works correctly.
This project is co-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the ERDF Operational Programme for Catalonia 2014-2020.
