The house of the future with solar PV roof and glass windows

The showcasing of the photovoltaic industry continues on at HTE-Hi.Tech.Expo. The exhibition, devoted to the science world, R&D and highly advanced technologies, today hosted the Solar Glass Conference, involving experts specialised in the production of glass for solar panels.

Manufacturers and professional specialists from different parts of Europe intervened to discuss the opportunities resulting from the boom of photovoltaic in Italy and spin-off prospects for the glass industry through the production of silicon modules.

"It is a time of great optimism" - declared Angelo Lovati from GIMAV, the Association that brings together manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, accessories, equipment and special products for the production of glass. "Compared to other European countries we lag behind, however it's a gap that we can and must overcome. Besides, in Italy, we have a long-standing tradition within the glass segment. Our task now, is to exploit the photovoltaic industry so as to give evidence of our expertise. It is therefore necessary, to sustain such enthusiasm by cutting down bureaucracy so as to avoid wasting time, resources and competitiveness".

Also in agreement is Jorma Vitkala from Glaston Finland: "The photovoltaic business is a flourishing one and there are signs that in the future, it will be a significant one also at the global level. However this will only take place, as it already appears to be happening, if international government policies focus on production incentives. There is in fact the need, for long-term support policies that will guarantee ongoing flow of investments. Subsequently companies will have the potential to grow through efficiency and assertion.

Nonetheless the glass industry is not the only sector that will gain benefits from the development of photovoltaic. Thanks to the possibility to integrate photovoltaic systems into dwellings starting from its planning phase, favourable prospects are in fact also foreseen within the building trade. There are numerous advantages in applying such solutions to future houses. Prof. Niccolò Aste from the Politecnico of Milan has compiled these in a book entitled "Il fotovoltaico in architettura" (Photovoltaic in Architecture) published by Sistemi Editoriali. "The house of the future will be a biological organism, self-reliant in producing its energy needs. The employment of panels as a cover/layer (for example an alternative to roof tiles or semi-transparent windows), will put in place, a broader distribution of such systems, thus avoiding to occupy surfaces destined for other type of uses. Resulting in significant savings of energy consumption/distributed and reducing dispersion".

Meanwhile HTE at FieraMilano, in its final day continues to attract a great flow of visitors, regardless the snow this morning caused considerable mobility problems throughout the city.

Marco Pinetti, President of Artenergy Publishing, the organisers of this exhibition, is extremely satisfied by the results: "I'ts a sign that HTE has been acknowledged with great enthusiasm by industry experts, an appointment and opportunity not to be missed in terms of professional and businesses development and in sustaining scientific progress".