The Taisei Corporation Yokohama branch building completed renovation in April 2023 and transformed to ZEB (Net Zero Energy Buildings) installing unique PV power generation system on the windows, spandrels and building walls. 

The 9-story building (2 basement levels) incorporates plenty of new technology developed by Taisei Corporation. For the windows on the southeast side, “see-through type” of Low-E double glass that incorporates striped solar cells to allow both daylight and power generation has been adopted. 

“T-Green Multi Solar”, BIPV that Taisei Corporation developed with Kaneka has been installed. For the windows on the southeast side, “see-through type” of Low-E double glass that incorporates striped solar cells to allow both daylight and power generation. 

For the tower and building walls, “solid type” with no visible electrode wires is adopted. For the spandrels on the southeast side, “gray-colored solid type” is installed.

Location: 6-96-2, Chouja-machi, Naka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Capacity: PV module capacity: 71.7 kW

Equipment: PV module: BIPV module (T-Green Multi Solar: see-through type, solid type and color solid type, jointly developed by Taisei and Kaneka)

Start of Operation: April 2023

Subsidy: FY 2022 subsidy for “Technology development and demonstration project on community co-creation and cross-sectoral carbon neutrality” by the Ministry of the Environment (MoE)

Overview: The Yokohama Branch Office of Taisei Corporation spent one year renovating its 50-year-old building while they continued working, and obtained ZEB Ready certification for the renovated builiding.

It is equipped with an exterior system that generates electricity using the T-Green Multi Solar, building integrated PV (BIPV) modules that are integrated with exterior walls and windows.

Three PV systems with a total output capacity of 71.7 kW were installed:

1) a 32.2 kW system with “solid type” PV modules with no permeability on the four sides of the building and the exterior walls

2) a 32.6 kW system with gray-colored “colored solid type” PV modules for the window sleeves. The solid type PV modules do not look like PV modules at all, and you cannot distinguish them from ordinary exterior panels, with an excellent design and integration with the building.

3) a 6.8 kW system with “see-through type” PV modules with permeability for the windows. The solid type PV modules do not look like PV modules at all, and you cannot distinguish them from ordinary exterior panels, with an excellent design and integration with the building.

This is an example of expanding the possibility of a new PV application for building walls as a BIPV system.