Solaxess

Solaxess SA is a Swiss company operating in the high-tech solar sector, established in January 2015 by founders Sébastien Eberhard and Olivier Gavillet. The company's creation is rooted in the industrialization and commercialization of technology developed at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), a research and development center specializing in photovoltaics. This collaboration led to a technology protected by seven international patents.

The core business of Solaxess is the development, production, and sale of a nanotechnology-based polymer film for photovoltaic (PV) modules. This film is designed to be integrated into PV panels during the manufacturing process, allowing the panels to have a uniform white or colored appearance while concealing the underlying solar cells and connections. This addresses a key aesthetic challenge in the Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) market, where the traditional blue-black appearance of solar panels can be a deterrent for architects and building owners. By transforming a standard PV panel into an aesthetic construction element, Solaxess aims to make vast new surfaces on building façades and roofs available for energy generation.

The company's business model is centered on supplying these nanotechnology films in rolls to PV module manufacturers in Europe and Asia. These manufacturers then incorporate the film into their production lines to create colored BIPV products. Solaxess's product is compatible with most solar cell technologies, including the mainstream crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film CIGS, making it widely adaptable. A notable benefit of the film is its ability to reduce the operating temperature of solar modules, which can improve cell efficiency, particularly in hot climates. Additionally, the use of colored panels helps mitigate the urban heat island effect often associated with large installations of black panels. The company's production capacity was around one million square meters of film per year as of 2022, with plans to expand to meet growing market demand.

Keywords: Building Integrated Photovoltaics, BIPV, colored solar panels, nanotechnology film, solar façades, aesthetic solar solutions, CSEM spin-off, photovoltaic technology, sustainable construction, solar panel manufacturing, polymer film, white solar modules, renewable energy components, cleantech, urban heat island, solar skin, architectural solar, energy-producing buildings, PV module technology, advanced materials