University of Ballarat, Victoria

Ballarat Univerity has the largest north-facing BIPV façade in Australia, with an impressive 200m². Schott Solar’s double glazed ASI- glass was used for the façade. Schott Solar’s ASI-glass product can be used in place of regular glazing and provides excellent thermal properties, being double glazed and with the ability to block solar radiation from entering the building. Consequently, a 40% reduction in air conditioning plant size was achieved by using ASI-glass, whilst also producing 7.3MWh of energy each year. The glass allows 10% of light to pass through, enabling excellent visibility.

A vertical façade was the construction of choice as the installed amorphous silicon technology is able to generate energy even from indirect light. A data monitoring system collects data from the system and transmits it to a display in the entrance foyer, constantly monitoring the PV system’s performance.