Active facade for Max&Moore with innovative Envelon PV cells

Max & Moore are two high-profile work buildings on the northern IJ bank Buiksloterham in Amsterdam. Sustainability and future-proofing are two important pillars in the design. The entire plan is energy-neutral and has a BREEAM Excellent sustainability certificate. A crucial role in this is played by the active facade with integrated PV cells.

To get Max & Moore off the ground at all, it was necessary to also use the facade to generate energy. A system with thin-film technology had already been prescribed, but this proved technically and economically unfeasible. Through technical consultant Marc de Winter of MARC Architectural Consultancy, an alternative was put forward in the form of monocrystalline solar cells from the company Grenzebach Envelon GmbH. "These PV cells not only look very aesthetically pleasing, but are also customizable as well as generating over 20% more output."

Steel profile

ENVELON transforms conventional facades into state-of-the-art "power plants. "The PV cells are sandwiched, as it were, between two sheets of glass, each 4 mm thin with a film in between," Marc explains. "ENVELON produces the panels in the desired size and configuration. And that was definitely an advantage here at Max's, given the limited space between the window sections and the specific detailing. In fact, the horizontal, black strips in Max's facade, which are entirely made of PV cells, are meant to represent a steel profile. To this end, flashing is applied at the top and bottom. And that, in turn, casts shadows on the panels. Because ENVELON produces the panels to size, the top edge of the PV panels is not active to avoid the risk of shading. Max's orientation is such that the panels are connected in series per facade. This eliminates the need for optimizers. And that in turn saves on costs."

Kromatix color technique

In total, ENVELON supplied 1,300 m2 of panels for Max that were assembled and installed by BENGproducts B.V. "Of that, 900 m2 are active on the east, south and west facades, and we provided the north facade with dummies that provide an identical look but no output," says Marc. At Max, the panels generate 165 Wp/m2, representing an installed capacity of about 148 kWp. By the way, the panels are manufactured in Germany. Of particular note is the Kromatix color technology on side 2, the inside of the outer sheet. The color you see is the only color that is reflected, the rest of the light spectrum ends up on the solar cells. That explains, among other things, the high yield and specific appearance."

ENVELON supplies a complete system, including its own rear construction. "And that was just as well in this case," Marc knows. "The panels were mounted on HSB elements with their own tolerances. In addition, screens were also incorporated behind the panels. ENVELON's suspension system can handle all those variables, so the panels end up hanging neatly aligned on the facade. If properly prepared, the actual installation and connection of the panels on site requires a limited time investment. And that is something BENGproducts has mastered like no other. In addition to preparation, assembly and installation, they also provide active monitoring for optimal yield."