A TRANSPARENT PV CANOPY IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

One of the things we like the most is when technology and ecology walk hand in hand.

Madrona Marsh Nature Center in Torrance, Los Angeles, is a natural reserve where people can explore and learn the wonders of nature.

Onyx Solar provided transparent solar PV glass for its beautifully integrated photovoltaic canopy. This amorphous silicon solution allows the natural light in while filtering the 99% of UV radiation. It also prevents the release of CO2 to the atmosphere and generates free and clean electricity.

We interviewed Segun Abegunrin, from SAA Associates, about this green project.

THE UNIVERSITIES JOIN THE REVOLUTIONYX!

The University of Washington and Millersville University (Pennsylvania) will integrate Onyx Solar’s transparent PV Glass on their campus as part of their commitment to sustainability.

The University of Washington’s project, designed by renowned Perkins + Will and constructed by Skanska USA, will feature 7,000sqft of transparent PV glass manufactured by Onyx Solar in their “Life Science Building”, dedicated to R&D activities. The project is set to be completed by the end of the year.

Millersville University will integrate Onyx Solar’s transparent PV glass in the curtain wall located at The Lombardo Welcome Center, its first Net Zero Energy Building. It is scheduled to be opened in January of 2018.

These two American universities join others such as Valladolid University and George Washington University in Virginia, that are already generating their own free, clean energy thanks to Onyx’s game-changer product.

NEW PROJECT IN HAWAII

Onyx Solar is currently developing a project in Hawaii, a true challenge that proves the versatility and global scope of the company, capable of accomplishing projects anywhere, even if they are located in the most isolated islands on Earth.

The project consists of a customized BIPV canopy that will be completely integrated around the roof edge, enabling the building to generate free and clean energy for self-consumption thanks to the Sun. It is composed of rectangular double laminated glazing units based on monocrystalline Silicon active material and other triangular units fully customized to match with the canopy lay-out.

SHARING A GOAL: DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

MEETING BETWEEN ONYX SOLAR AND WHITE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES

Álvaro Beltrán, Onyx Solar's General Manager and Juan Verde, the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Department of Commerce

During the meeting celebrated in Washington, D.C., Juan Verde, the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Department of Commerce showed his satisfaction when learning first hand how fast Building Integrated Photovoltaics has evolved, thanks to the development of new, innovative technologies that in addition to generating clean and free energy, offer a great variety of designs that facilitate its integration within almost any application. “R&D Investment, innovative entrepreneurship in the field of renewable energies, and the commitment of the U.S. society with the environment, will be key factors in reaching a more sustainable growth and to increase the country’s energy independence”, stated DAS Verde when he learned about a new company expanding into the US market.

Thus, the innovation and efficiency showed by Onyx Solar´s solutions have awoken the interest of the Obama Administration in its bet towards distributed generation and the development of renewable energies: “we should encourage citizens and businesses to participate in the generation and distribution of energy actively, in order to promote energy efficiency”, DAS Verde noted.

Conference in New York

Diego Cuevas during his conference in New York

Onyx Solar experts have become referents on the Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) sector. They are continuously invited to be speaker in conferences and workshops among other professionals. The last example took place in New York during an event that gathered entrepreneurs working on companies within the façade and design sector.

The business developer for the United States talked about the green building situation and the necessity of bolstering a more eco friendly model. And he did so in a country which is more and more aware about this need. He also explained which are the solutions offered by Onyx Solar to achieve this objective and whose have been installed in America.

Onyx Will Participate With One of Its Building Integrated Photovoltaics Solutions In The Construction of a Rapid Transit Station in San Francisco

Onyx Solar will participate in the remodeling of the Union City Rapid Transit Station, in San Francisco. The company will supply a semitransparent photovoltaic glass who will be incorporated into the canopies of the new building. The Sation is included in the BART system (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which operates with five lines across 167 km with 43 stations in four counties. This system has more than 320.000 users in weekdays, being the fifth-busiest heavy rail rapid transit system in the United States.

The company reached an agreement last week with the contractor in order to take part of the project. Onyx will participate in the first stage of the project, aimed to readapt the current station to make it more accessible to all transports, from pedestrians to bicycles and cars.

The Project in Union City will be the first in USA for Onyx Solar, which expects to grow rapidly in that market due to the awareness of the necessity of a more sustainable building model that most American architects have. Thus, last June the Spanish company opened its first office in USA (New York) and it is already working on the design stage of several projects with some of the largest architectural offices such as Gensler, KPF or SOM.

Onyx Solar will be exhibiting at the largest green building expo in the World

Onyx Solar’s commitment toward green building in undeniable. Thus, from the beginning it has worked side by side with the US Green Building Council, the institution promoting the sector in the US and the creator of the LEED certification. That’s why the company will be exhibiting during the next edition of the GreenBuild Expo, who will take place in Chicago from Novermber, 17^th to 19^th.

The wind city will gather the largest companies in the World involved in the green building movement as it’s a must attend trade show for the sector. Apart from that, architects from architects offices from the States and abroad will get to the McCormick Place to know firsthand the latest trends in sustainable building.

For those interested in knowing more about Onyx Solar’s latest products, you can visit the company’s booth, number 2697 during the event.

From the Heart of Manhattan

When you aspire to be a global company there are certain places where you must be. New York has always been one of those spots, and Shanghai is increasingly becoming more and more important. That’s why in Onyx we always knew that sooner or later we should open an office in those cities and so we did, first in China earlier this year, and now also in what many consider the capital of the World, the city that never sleeps.

Onyx Solar office in New York

In Broadway, surrounded by theatres, restaurants and lights, lots of lights, we will have our home in the US. At the Manhattan’s heart, in Times Square, from where we will provide a better service to our customers in the country. Starting today, you can find us in the 1501 Broadway, allowing us, alongside with our net of representatives, to reach every corner of the largest economy in the World, a country with 350 million of inhabitants. Everything centralized from the city which hosts the most important decision-making centers in the construction sector.

India

Last week we wrote about the American market as one of the most receptive and mature in the green building sector. There are located some of the largest architectural companies, it’s home of the most active Green Building Council and has developed the LEED certification, and it seems to be recovering from last years downturn.

However, many bealive that the next decade will belong to emergent countries. They have suffered the crisis with less intensity and have the largest room for growth. And if we focus only in the renewable energies sector, India seems to have something to say in the next years. The county’s Government has implemented what they call the “Solar Mission” aimed to achieve 20 GW of installed power within 2020.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Indian Minister

And here in Onyx we know that there are great opportunities there and thus we have been always interested in that country. Last November we were invited to make up a delegation of Spanish entrepreneurs to accompany the Spanish Prince in a trade mission to India where we met several representatives of local companies and we established a joint venture with a local partner. This relationship has proved to be positive for both companies and we are at the moment exhibiting in SOLARCON India 2010. Apart from that, some months ago we were also invited to a business lunch hosted by India’s Minister of News and Renewable Energies, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in order to know more about future perspectives for that country and its Government plans for the sector.

Solarcon India

Nowadays we are already working in projects in India as well as in other emerging markets, which shows we were right when we decided to focus efforts in those countries. They keep growing regardless the crisis and they are willing to keep moving forward in this way, always taking care of the urban environment which is one of the keys of its progress.