Headquartered in Germany, AVANCIS is a manufacturer of premium-class Solar Photovoltaic modules and is a part of the Saint Gobain group of companies. Avancis PowerMax branded Solar Modules are basically CIS Thin-Film modules and hence they can be used with BIPV (Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic) applications.
As you might be aware, there are two types of photovoltaic technologies - Crystalline & Thin-Film. Thin-Film technology maybe better than Crystalline technology for certain applications (like BIPV) and certain locations (like high-temperature zones). The per-module cost maybe cheaper for Thin-Film modules than Crystalline modules, but their efficiency/power-rating is lesser. You can read the advantages and limitations of Thin-Film PV technology, in detail, from here.
AVANCIS solar modules are based on Thin-Film technology. But there is one crucial difference - They are based on CIS/CIGS (Copper Indium Selenium/Gallium Sulphur) technology, instead of a-Si (amorphous silicon) or CdTe (Cadmium Telluride). The company says that the energy yield of their PowerMax modules is among the highest of all PV modules.
AVANCIS PowerMax modules are broadly categorized into three types,
- AVANCIS PowerMax premium-class solar modules offer the highest energy-yield due to broad spectral sensitivity, excellent low-light performance, low temperature coefficient & low operating cell temperature.
- AVANCIS PowerMax Smart solar modules for large commercial roof-top systems and open-space systems. These modules are frame-less, light, stable and cater even to applications that require modules to be mounted with a minimum slope-angle.
- AVANCIS PowerMax Strong solar modules for roof-top systems, facades or open spaces.
Thin-Film solar modules have an aesthetically pleasing look. They don't have the visible stripes that crystalline modules have, and hence give a uniform and beautiful look. This is especially useful when modules are mounted on visible spaces like roof-tops, building facades, etc. Have a look at a couple of AVANCIS CIS PV module installations and judge for yourselves.
Since AVANCIS is a part of Saint Gobain, their CIS solar modules are available in India, through the latter's network.
Saint Gobain also has a separate division for manufacturing Concentrated Solar Power systems and components including mirrors for thermosolar, CSP receivers, etc. Read more about this from here.
Further info/Manufacturer's website: AVANCIS.
