At the upcoming Intersolar Europe 2024, Chinese zero-carbon building material producer, Phomi MCM will be present its innovative econiclay non-glass building-integrated photovoltaics (eBIPV) and econiclay Display (eDisplay) products that use its proprietary econiclay coverings (eCoverings).

The eCoverings are obtained from a transformed microscopic powder, extracted from inorganic solid waste such as sand, stone scraps, and non-metallic tailings, explains Phomi. After some modification of initial microscopic particles by mixing in specific surfactants, all the particles are wrapped with active ingredients to create a multi-layered network structure, called the econiclay material. It follows this process by molding the econiclay, an ecological environmental material, under 100℃ into Phomi’s eCoverings, according to the company. These typical eCoverings can be customized into different textures and colors to look like building coverings of stone, clay, or bricks, that can be used in new or existing buildings that require exterior facades.

The company has been able to offer multiple functionalities of its eCoverings such as architectural decoration, power generation, display, generation of negative oxygen ions, temperature control, air exchange, etc. In PV power generation, the one-way photoelectric light guide of the eCoverings is realized by manipulating the microstructure of the econiclay, according to Phomi. In its eBIPV products with 165 W/m2 power generation capacity, the propagated light goes through the surface material, which is absorbed by the integrated PV material. However, in the eDisplay product offering, its photoelectric converted light passes through the surface material and is emitted to form the video display.

Phomi MCM’s eCoverings promise 50 years of service life without any adverse impact on colorful appearances or textures of surface materials from the light generated or absorbed by the photoelectric conversion. The company substantiated its claim to be a zero-carbon building covering producers based on a 3^rd party certification, which tells greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the life cycle of 1 m2 eCoverings is 1.02 kg CO2 equivalent, 95.4% and 98.6% less than porcelain’s and stone’s emission, respectively. On the other hand, the eBIPV derived from eCoverings, inherits 0.26 kg CO2 equivalent GHG emission in a life cycle of 1 Wp eBIPV, 58% less than glass BIPV’s emission, it claims. The company says it ensures low carbon emission in its less than 100 ℃ manufacturing process coupled with low transportation emission due to the very lightweight 4 kg/m² eCovering.

The visitors can find Phomi MCM’s latest products at booth no. FM.704/61 at Intersolar Europe 2024 between June 19 to 21, 2024.