Derbigum leads project PV-GUM, integrating PV in the roof membrane

Belgium bitumen-based roofing membranes manufacturer Derbigum is to lead a pioneering building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) project named PV-GUM. Over the next three years, a consortium of nine partners will develop new manufacturing technologies and equipment to produce low-cost thin-film PV membranes, which are fully-integrated in the roofing.

The PV-GUM project is designed to fully-integrate flexible thin-film PV modules in the roofing membrane during the manufacturing process. In order to be adopted by the building industry, this new BIPV product should be low-cost, close to ‘classical’ high performance roofing membranes in terms of size and installation, with proven waterproofing properties, enhanced production of PV electricity, robustness, ease of installation, sustainability and recyclability.

The new flexible PV membrane is pre-eminently suitable for flat roofs as they have the advantage of good accessibility, ease of installation, an almost limitless choice of orientation for the PV units and usually part of commercial, industrial or public buildings.

“By the full factory integration of the PV cell into the bitumen membrane, we can realize significant reduction of the installation time of the PV roof system, providing simultaneously a durable waterproofing solution included in the modules itself,” said Eric Bertrand, Coordinator and Initiator of the PV-GUM project

At the end of the three year project, the cost-effective, robust and efficient PV roofing membrane will be demonstrated in a 200kWp PV-GUM installation in France. Derbigum and project partner Flexcell intend to directly exploit the results by producing 20MW of the new ‘PV-GUM’ membrane for Derbigum and enhanced PV modules for Flexcell products. Derbigum intends to extend this capacity at 70MW by three years.

PV-GUM is funded by the European Commission under the ‘7° European R&D Framework Programme.’ The PV-GUM project involves nine European partners including, Derbigum, Flexcell, Kema, Meyer, Nolax, Guilbert Express, Eurinnov, ECN and B-Energy.

The existing potential of suitable roofs for this new BIPV product is estimated to 23 million m².