Based on its recent analysis of the building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glass market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Onyx Solar Group LLC with the 2016 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Leadership. Onyx Solar’s rich experience and innovation excellence has enabled it to continuously roll out new solutions, endowing it with substantial commercialization success and high customer acquisition rates. One of its most notable technologies is its smart, multifunctional, and active and passive, building integrated photovoltaic glass solution. This technology incorporates six elements into a single groundbreaking electrical generation system and unlike competing products; it maintains the structure’s aesthetic value.
Onyx Solar’s building integrated photovoltaic glass has efficiently resolved the inherent scalability, efficiency, and flexibility technological shortcomings of traditional BIPV solutions. The six elements that make its technology stand out in a sea of similar products are energy generation, ultraviolet (up to 99%) and infrared filters (up to 95%), thermal and acoustic insulation, natural illumination, customizable design and carbon dioxide reduction.
“By integrating its photovoltaic glass technology, Onyx Solar prevents buildings from overheating and generates useful energy for the edifice. This solution boasts a lifespan of 30 years, which is equivalent to the lifespan of roofs made from conventional asphalt shingles,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Hafiz Amin.
Onyx Solar has products for every category of BIPV, including solar cell glazing products, BIPV pavement, and in general BIPV to be integrated in the full envelope of every building. Its portfolio has solutions that are ideal for skylights, floors, facades, curtain walls, canopies, parking lots, spandrels, furniture, and building retrofits. It has also developed innovative BIPV solutions such as a walkable floor and low-emissivity (Low-E) photovoltaic glass, gaining first-mover advantage and huge margins.
Onyx Solar’s solutions have been installed in more than 25 countries, spanning North America to Southeast Asia. For every installation, building owners obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points in the energy and atmosphere (EA) and the innovation and design (ID) processes. Additionally, Onyx Solar can reduce the energy payback time (EPBT) to one year, which according to the company is 30% shorter than the EPBT of conventional solutions. “For tech-savvy clients, Onyx Solar provides software apps through the Google Play Store and Apple Store. These apps can compute return on investment for a demo building, perform photovoltaic estimation of energy generated, and calculate thermal transmittance,” noted Amin. “They enable the company to reach out to potential customers by allowing them to virtually test the product before they make their purchase decisions.”
To ensure the development of new BIPV solutions and tight integration of BIPV with buildings, Onyx Solar has established strong communication lines between planners and manufacturers. Onyx Solar is offering an American Institute of Architects (AIA) course for stakeholders interested in enhancing their knowledge base.
According to Onyx Solar’s, its BIPVs add only 2% to 5% to the overall construction costs of a commercial building, which is marginal, compared to the costs of more conventional cladding materials such as glass or steel. Onyx Solar states their BIPV technology is the only building material that pays for itself.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan bestows this award upon the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies that significantly impact both the functionality and the customer value of new products and applications. The award lauds the large R&D spent towards innovation, its relevance to the industry, and the positive impact it has on brand perception.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About Onyx Solar Group LLC
Onyx Solar is a world leader in the manufacture of photovoltaic glass for buildings. A transparent or colored glass capable of generating clean, cost-free energy from the sun, for installation on façades, windows, skylights or even flooring, enabling the buildings of our cities to generate their own energy for a minimal outlay.
Onyx Solar’s aim is to enable buildings of the future to be energy self-sufficient, a key factor in the struggle against climate change, as buildings are responsible for 70% of the energy consumption in our planet.
Since its inception in 2009, Onyx Solar has executed over 70 projects in more than 25 countries, for leading companies such as Samsung, Coca-Cola, Pfizer or Novartis. They provide advice to architects worldwide, such as Norman Foster, Frank Ghery, SOM, KPF, ASGG or Vignoly, and have worked for the global construction companies such as ACS, Skanska, Turner, Jacobs or Ferrovial.
Onyx Solar has participated in emblematic projects like the Novartis Headquarters in United States, awarded by ENR as the Best Sustainable Project in New York in 2014, the American Airlines Arena renovation in Miami, awarded as the most innovative photovoltaic glass project by Build magazine, the Tanjong Pagar Tower, the tallest building in Singapore built by Samsung, the Science Pyramid in Denver Botanic Gardens, also awarded by ENR as the Best Project in Colorado in 2015, the Viracopos Airport in Sao Paulo and the Coca Cola FEMSA headquarters in Mexico.
More information about these iconic projects is available in their virtual projects catalog.
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