Sharp partners with HKW Solar Energy Systems on innovative solar solution
London, January 10, 2018 – Solar energy services company HKW-Solar-Energiesysteme has designed a unique solar solution, with Sharp’s NQ-R256A back-contact modules as the basis. The innovative Solar Tower stands up to eight meters tall, and applies 15 years of experience in the solar industry to offer an alternative energy solution for business and home owners short on space.
Developed by HKW-Solar-Energiesysteme in Höxter (Germany), the solar tower is available up to eight meters high with 20 or 16 Sharp modules, or at six meters high with 12 modules. The tower fits in any garden and only needs a small amount of space to gather and save solar energy. The largest of the three different solar towers delivers up to five kilowatts of installed power; 26% more power compared with 270W standard modules.
Arndt Peters, Sales Manager of HKW Solar Energy Systems UG, said: “There is currently no comparable solution on the market. We chose Sharp’s NQR256A PV module for its compact size and high performance within a small footprint.”
“The solar tower should not be regarded as a competition for a roof installation, but rather as a system that can be used to complement an existing one, or as a solution whenever a roof installation is not possible”, explains Arndt Peters.
The NQ-R256A (256 Wp) is a mono-crystalline PV module with an appealing design, yielding an outstanding efficiency of 19.8 percent. With its compact size of 1318 x 980 x 46 millimetres, the back-contact technology offers even more power in a smaller area when compared to conventional solar modules.
With conventional technology the solar cells have the electrical contact wires on the front side, blocking the sunlight that enters into the cell, and approximately 6% of received light remains unused. With Sharp’s back contact cells, all connectivity is removed from the front to the backside significantly reducing reflection loss. The efficient modules feature an elegant, black front without any silver shining conductors (bus bars).
Regardless of size, customers will also benefit from the following:
- The vertical orientation reduces the performance losses of the solar cells caused by dirt, dust or snow. In addition, the modules can be angled and thus better aligned with the sun.
- Higher yields can be gained through better heat dissipation (ventilation).
- The tower can be combined with and expand other power generators.
- There are no operating costs and maintenance costs are low.
- The tower is environmentally friendly and CO2 neutral.
In addition to generating energy for private use, the solar tower is also versatile in the business sector. Free-standing facilities such as e-bike charging stations and remote alpine huts can use the solar tower to generate electricity in a straightforward, uncomplicated manner.
Solar installers can also benefit from fitting the solar tower in front of their business, and using it as a form of direct advertising to provide customers with the opportunity to visualize the tower for their own use. Companies can also capitalize on this, as it advertises that they are a “green” company, with visitors more likely to see the solar modules than if they were installed on the roof.
Further information on the solar tower is available at www.hkw-solar.com. To find out more about Sharp’s high-performance modules go to www.sharp.co.uk/energysolutions.
About Sharp Energy Solutions
Sharp is one of the world’s largest photovoltaic manufacturers and has been a driving force behind the use of photovoltaic technologies for over 55 years. Sharp offers solar modules for the environmentally conscious energy production, battery solutions for the time-independent use of stored energy and the “Smart Chap” energy manager for controlling energy. To date, Sharp has delivered more than 50 million PV modules worldwide. More information available at www.sharp.co.uk/energysolutions
About HKW solar energy systems
HKW Solar-Energiesysteme is a young company founded by experienced entrepreneurs from the solar industry who bring their knowledge of the products to bear. HKW Solar strives to provide solutions with its products where conventional systems cannot be installed. Additional information available at www.hkw-solar.com
