Technology

Taiwan’s ‘Solar Rock’ Unveiled

Architecture Firm MVRDV Reveals BIPV Panels Covered Building In Taiwan

Anu Bhambhani
  • MVRDV has covered Taipower's operations facility in Changhua County with BIPV solar panels
  • The Sun Rock building with a minimum of 4,000 sq. mtr. of BIPV panels is expected to generate up to 1 million kWh annually
  • This energy will make the building completely self-sufficient with panels on all sides converting maximum sunlight into solar energy

Netherlands based well-known architecture firm MVRDV has unveiled Solar Rock, a project it has built for Taiwanese utility Taipower with the entire façade designed to cover a minimum of 4,000 sq. mtr. of building integrated PV (BIPV) panels.

MVRDV estimates 4,000 sq. mtr. panels to generate close to 1 million kWh of clean energy annually, 'making the building completely self-sufficient'.

"Further design options are under consideration that would add an even larger area of PV panels, with calculations showing the building could generate up to 1.7 million kWh annually to contribute energy to the grid," added MVRDV.

Acting as an operations facility for Taipower, the building exists as a round structure at Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, Changhua County near Taichung. Covering it with BIPV panels from all sides is an idea that aims to use as much sunlight as possible (see photo below)

MVRDV in its design 'cladded the entire façade of the building of Taiwanese utility Taipower with photovoltaics, maximising the energy gains to make it not only self-sustainable, for its own usage, but also allowing the building to become a tool of energy production, exporting electricity to the rest of the grid'. The clever design even allows power generation on the northern side (photo credit: MVRDV).

The Solar Rock maximizes the solar potential of the façade with a series of pleats to support PV panels that have also been mixed with windows at places. The angles of these pleats is adjusted on all parts of the façade. The building houses a public gallery, offices, maintenance workshop, and storage spaces.

"The user of the Solar Rock is an energy company, which has allowed us to do more than usual; So we cladded the entire façade with photovoltaics, maximizing the energy gains to make it not only self-sustainable, for its own usage, but also allowing the building to become a tool of energy production, exporting electricity to the rest of the grid," explained MVRDV Founding Partner Winy Maas. "This is achieved through a maximally efficient positioning of the panels. As a result, our design is completely data-driven."

Maas said the Sun Rock features are focused upon generating solar energy as efficiently as possible while anticipating Taiwan's planned transition to green energy. Notably, Taiwan aims to increase renewable energy share in its total power mix by 2025 to 20%, comprising 20 GW of solar energy.

Details of Sun Rock project, which was started in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2024, are available on MVRDV's website.