The Austrian government's ambitious climate targets, which aim to cover domestic net electricity demand from renewable energies by 2030, mean that the space required for PV and BIPV solutions is increasing. In addition to suitable areas for solar power on buildings (roofs, façades, parapets, etc.), densely populated infrastructure areas (roads, car parks, railway lines, etc.) are also particularly suitable for integrated PV solutions.
Platform roofs are an ideal location for this: BIPV glass panels in the overhead area can produce renewable green electricity while also providing protection from the rain and sun. However, this raises specific problems that need to be solved, such as airflow, abrasion from overhead lines and brakes, and ensuring adequate earthing in case of electric shock.
To this end, ÖBB has launched the Matzleinsdorfer Platz and Sierndorf pilot projects featuring BIPV roofing. The Sierndorf station previously had no platform roof. Our customer, Innovametall, prefabricated the platform roof in four large sections. These were quickly installed at night using a crane, minimising disruption to train traffic. The four sections were subsequently fitted with BIPV inserts, as the platform was slightly curved.
Pilkington Sunplus™ BIPV glass from Pilkington Austria was used, using Pilkington Optilam™ OW HN consisting of two laminated heat strengthened Pilkington Optiwhite™ glass panes (10+10+0.38). The glass-glass modules were designed with monocrystalline, bifacial PV cells. The 48 BIPV glass panels have a surface area of 120 m² and a total output of 16.8 kWp, with an estimated annual output of approximately 20 MWh.
Photography: © Architekturbüro Reinberg ZT GmbH