Heliatek GmbH has been a core participant in the German subproject of the BMWi‑funded PVme programme since December 2015, working closely with Hoesch Bausysteme. The German effort was completed on schedule, with production carried out in 2017 and the demonstration module installed in Antwerp in March 2018. The project’s primary objective was to deliver two types of power‑generating elements: one based on a metal substrate and the other on glass. For the metal‑based element, Heliatek’s organic photovoltaic (OPV) films were laminated onto a metal substrate by Hoesch and subsequently formed into façade panels, with the possibility of adding an Akzo Nobel protective coating. The glass‑based element involved AGC laminating Heliatek’s solar films into laminated safety glass, which was then integrated into a façade system by SAPA. The resulting modules are marketed using measured annual yields, and the solar film enhances building aesthetics without compromising insulation or water‑barrier performance.
The technical work was organised into five work packages. Work package 1.1, an internal Heliatek effort, optimised laser‑process technology, reducing the inactive “dead zone” by roughly 50 % and increasing the usable active area by about 10 %. This milestone (MS1) was achieved early in the project. Work package 1.2 focused on encapsulation materials and protective coatings in collaboration with Akzo Nobel and Holst. Of more than five coatings evaluated, two met the required UV, weather, and scratch‑resistance criteria; Holst demonstrated roll‑to‑roll application of the coating onto PET substrates, enabling barrier‑coated encapsulation films for the solar sheet. Work package 1.3 addressed bonding of the solar film to carriers. While glass integration used existing melt‑adhesive lamination, metal bonding required new adhesive variants. Several adhesives were tested, semi‑automated application on metal was proven, and the adhesive met IEC 61215 long‑term stability criteria after optimisation. Pre‑demonstrators were built and field‑tested. Work package 1.4 investigated electrical contact strategies, merging two contact points into one for cost savings and transferring the contact process to Hoesch for roll‑to‑roll integration; pre‑demonstrators were again fabricated and evaluated. Work package 1.5 covered the production and installation of the demonstration modules. Final solar‑film configurations were approved by all partners, production was completed in 2017, and the module was installed in Antwerp in March 2018, with Heliatek delivering the films to AGC and Hoesch on schedule.
Heliatek’s laboratory record for OPV efficiency exceeded 13 %, and a pilot‑production cell record reached 8 %. The current focus is on building the first mass‑production plant, targeting stable, reproducible cell efficiencies around 10 %. The project also contributed to system design and the correlation of accelerated ageing and outdoor data, with measured annual yields used for marketing communication.
Beyond PVme, Heliatek participates in several other publicly funded projects (OPEG, R2flex, NEOS, Manucloud, IMPROV, X10D, and an organic PIN‑module project). The company has been developing building‑integration components since 2012, but no commercial products are yet available; solar films are sold only through partnerships with prospective customers, and product certification occurs at the customer site. This customer‑driven development cycle typically spans 4–5 years, a common duration in automotive and building‑integration markets. The German subproject’s partners—Heliatek, Hoesch Bausysteme, Akzo Nobel, Holst, AGC, SAPA, and Engie—each played distinct roles in design, material supply, bonding, and installation, under the umbrella of the BMWi funding.