Skanska launches first perovskite solar cell application in office buildings with Saule Technologies

17 January 2018

Skanska’s commercial development business unit in Central Eastern Europe will be the first developer worldwide to cover office buildings with semi-transparent perovskite solar cells on a commercial scale. This will revolutionize the approach towards energy self-sufficient buildings. Saule Technologies will be the technology provider. The initial implementation tests are planned for 2018 in Poland.

Energy independent office projects are becoming a reality thanks to perovskite technology which is ready to be integrated into building façades. Skanska will apply the test-cells onto its projects in 2018, creating a significant milestone towards zero-energy and carbon neutral office investments. The developer has exclusive rights to use Saule Technologies’ solar cell solutions, as stated in a license-based agreement signed between the two companies, in building façades and noise barriers across all Skanska markets worldwide (the Nordics, Europe and the USA). Perovskite technology means benefits for the developer, tenants and communities – favorable implementation costs, lower energy costs and consumption, and lower carbon footprints.

Printed, flexible, perovskite photovoltaics developed by Saule Technologies. The inkjet printing technique allows the design and production of free-form solar modules.

Perovskites are crystalline materials that have great potential to replace silicon - currently the world’s most popular semiconductor in solar cell applications. Saule Technologies has been working on the application of ink-jet printing for fabricating free-form perovskite solar modules since 2014. This technique allows the shapes and areas covered by each layer to be customized according to requirements. The stability and water resistance of the modules makes them ideal for the construction industry. The company has conducted advanced research on perovskite applications in solar energy harvesting and optoelectronics with leading international universities in the UK, Israel, Germany, Italy and Spain. With a Japanese investor on board, along with support from the Polish National Centre for Research and Development and several research grants worth more than EUR 20 million, Saule Technologies is now working on a large-scale, prototype production line.

Example of Skanska’s office building covered by semi-transparent perovskite solar modules. Perovskites are integrated into property’s façade without changing its design and esthetics.

Perovskite solar cells offer new opportunities to architects and construction companies willing to utilize solar power. Our modules are lighter, thinner and much more design friendly than the most popular silicon solar cells. We may customize the shape, color and size of the module depending on the needs of the customer and install them wherever there is a free area on the building. This also means not being limited to the roof.

Olga Malinkiewicz, co-founder and CTO at Saule Technologies

While perovskite solar cell technology is being observed by respected giants such as NASA, Skanska has a chance to use it first to power office developments. This is the developer’s step towards making buildings carbon neutral.

Olga Malinkiewicz (left), co-founder and CTO at Saule Technologies and Katarzyna Zawodna (right), CEO of Skanska’s commercial development business in CEE, with a perovskite solar module.

It is not a science-fiction vision anymore. Working with talented scientists from Saule, we are now turning fiction into reality and creating buildings which are more energy efficient and carbon neutral. Up to now this has not been possible on a large scale. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the modern world is facing and it contributes to extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and severity around the world. As such there is increasing legislative pressure to run businesses in a sustainable and attentive manner.

Katarzyna Zawodna, CEO of Skanska’s commercial development business in CEE

Sweden-based Skanska Group is determined to be the leading green developer and builder. The company has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact since 2001. In 2009, as one of the first developers in CEE, Skanska introduced LEED certification to the office market, and announced the implementation of the WELL Building Standard in 2017. Usage of perovskite solar cells for zero-energy buildings is just the latest innovation in Skanska's sustainable building strategy.

Skanska Commercial Development Europe

Skanska Commercial Development Europe initiates and develops sustainable property projects in office and other commercial buildings. The company’s operations are concentrated in metropolitan areas in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Poland and are conducted in four local units: Skanska Property Czech Republic, Skanska Property Hungary, Skanska Romania and Skanska Property Poland.
More information can be found at: www.skanska.com/property

Skanska Group

We are part of the Skanska Group, established in 1887. The group is one of the biggest building and developer companies in the world, currently employing 41,000 specialists in Europe and the United States. We build in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, caring for the future needs of communities that we operate in. We focus on how our projects will influence the life of people and the country’s development in the long-term. We participate in some of the most innovative developments and are currently working on 10,000 projects worldwide. Skanska’s revenue in 2016 totaled around 16 billion EUR and operating profit totaled 866 million EUR. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden. Skanska has been listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since 1965. Skanska’s standards of work are described in its “Code of Conduct”. In each market, we work in accordance with common values: we care for life, we act ethically and transparently, we are better together and we are committed to our customers. In Poland, Skanska employs nearly 7,000 specialists in three business units: Skanska S.A., Skanska Property Poland, Skanska Residential Development Poland.
For more information, please visit: www.skanska.pl

Saule Technologies

Saule Technologies is one of the first companies in the world working on the commercialization of perovskites in the new generation of photovoltaic cells. The company has pioneered the application of ink-jet printing for the fabrication of flexible, light-weight, semi-transparent and efficient perovskite solar modules. Currently, Saule Technologies is a team of 20 scientists from 11 countries working in Wrocław, in one of the most advanced optoelectronics laboratories in Europe, to develop the cost-competitive and versatile solar energy harvesting technology.
For more information, please visit: www.sauletech.com