Tejas Borja has been manufacturing tiles in Llíria, Valencia, in southeastern Spain, since 1899. Its catalog includes the Flat-5XL tile which, with dimensions of 457 x 510 mm and a weight of 6.55 kg, is claimed to be the largest ceramic tile in the world.
This tile is also available in a photovoltaic version, the Solar Flat-5XL, which is an ultra-flat ceramic tile that includes a glass-glass photovoltaic panel. The product is also equipped with an anti-reflection full-black cover that allows the entire system to be concealed, without altering the roof design.The connections of the photovoltaic cells are invisible so that their visual impact on the roof is the minimum possible.
“The normal tile is already a world benchmark and there is no such large tile on the market with solar integration,” the company’s R&D specialist, Miguel Usach, told pv magazine.
Three versions
Tejas Borja manufactures three different BIPV products. The Solar Flat-5XL ceramic tile with dimensions of 457 x 510 mm and a weight of 7.5 kg, which is available in two versions: a monocrystalline tile with a power output between 24.2 Wp and 143.26 Wp / m2; a tile made with solar cells of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) with power output ranging from 17 W to 102 W / m2.
Tejas Borja explained that the solar cells are being provided by two undisclosed manufacturers, one based in Spain and one operating in Taiwan. “For the first year, we offer a performance guarantee of 99% on the monocrystalline version and 97% on the CiGS, and above 80% for the next 20 years on both versions,” Usach stated. “The ceramic support has a guarantee of 50 years, like all those of Tejas Borja.”
The third product is the Solar Flat-10 roof tile, which is also built with CiGS technology. It measures 457 x 1,268 mm, weighs 9.30 kg and has 56 Wp and 123 Wp / m2 of power. It is made with an aluminum frame and is finished in full-black color.
Easy-to-install
The electrical installation of the solar tiles is carried out through international standard connections. “We always advise on the design and specification of the installation with our products and we provide the installers with the installation diagram,” Usach further explained.
The tiles can be easily deployed by fixing them directly with screws on the roof strips, like any flat ceramic tile, inside the skirts, without the need to drill or place additional structures, according to the company. “This avoids the risk of leaks caused by errors in execution or maintenance, and ensures tightness and safety, while avoiding the ‘sail effect’,” Usach said, adding that the roof is covered with the support ceramic, which also provides thermal and acoustic insulation.
Usach did not reveal details on the product price, which he said depends on the characteristics of a project. He added, however, that it was seeing very good acceptance among customers. “A commercial project has just been carried out in Belgium and another residential one in Valencia,” said Costina Rusen, Tejas Borja’s marketing manager.
The company also claims to have several large projects underway, both in the residential and hotel sectors, in Latin America.
Author: Pilar Sánchez Molina
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
