Hotel real estate: even the facade can generate energy. But how?

Energy costs in the hotel industry can come down

​Solar energy is 'booming'. Especially at a time when the energy crisis concerns us every day. But the more solar panels appear in the streetscape or landscape, the greater the resistance possibly becomes. That is why efforts are being made with all their might to develop other applications that ensure solar panels are unobtrusively integrated into society. 

A fairly recent development in the field of solar panels are vertical solar panels. Due to the many sustainability assignments, Marloes van Heteren, architect and CEO at Solarix in Amsterdam, became increasingly surprised by the lack of sustainable techniques and materials. This prompted her to start investing in beautiful sustainable visible facade panels herself in order to contribute to the energy transition in the built environment. In 2016, she joined forces with artist and product designer Reinier Bosch and founded Solarix.

The company was born out of a shared ambition and fascination to make the world a lot more sustainable and use their expertise and design to that end. "We design and supply coloured solar panels that can be fully integrated into energy-generating facades," says Van Heteren.

Smart cities

With innovative solar panels on facades, Solarix is contributing to the development of smart cities where buildings generate more energy than they consume. "With the application of our solar panels, we aim to reduce CO2 emissions and realise completely energy-neutral or even energy-producing buildings. Our solar panels are suitable for both new construction and renovation projects in both the residential and commercial sectors. For optimal application, we currently supply projects from 100m² upwards. On taller buildings, the application of our Solar Design System is a great way to meet the demand for sustainable energy and create a high-quality façade finish," Van Heteren explains.

A very eye-catching project recently engineered by Solarix is Pharos. This is a sustainable business building right next to Hoofddorp CS station. "With its energy-generating, smart and beautiful façade by Solarix, Pharos shows that the façade of the future has now been realised," Van Heteren proudly adds. 

Solarix won the Start-Up Pitch prize at this year's annual Hotel Leaders Network Event organised by ABN AMRO. As a result, the company sees many opportunities in the hotel industry. Van Heteren: "The hotel industry is facing ever-increasing energy costs and regulations for sustainability. We can offer appropriate solutions for this. Moreover, we offer the possibility to provide the hotelier with information about how much energy a new facade will yield by means of a no-obligation SolarCheck. Based on this, a plan of action for realisation can be made."

Aesthetic

The number of solar panels that fit on a building roof is often insufficient to produce enough renewable energy for the entire building, according to Van Heteren. "This automatically brings the facade into the picture as a location for energy generation. But given that façades are more visible than roofs, it is therefore also very important that they do not bother the public. For a hotel, appearance plays a prominent role. The exterior of a hotel is the first thing guests see as soon as they arrive. It is therefore important that the building gives a welcoming, pleasant impression. At the same time, it is crucial that the façade meets all functional requirements: so it involves installing façade panels that generate solar energy and
be aesthetically pleasing."