Press release

Solar power and heat from photovoltaics: SYSTAIC wins top award at Batimat Building Exhibition

Pictures: http://www.fotodienst.at/browse.mc?album_id=2966

Successful start to Paris exhibition: For the second consecutive time, the Innovation Award sponsored by Batimat Building Exhibition has gone to SYSTAIC. The solar company was selected for the design of its new energy roof system that in conjunction with a special heat pump is able to generate both electricity and calorific power from photovoltaics. At the glamorous award ceremony held in the evening of 2 November 2009 at Théâtre Marigny on the Champs Elysées systaic AG was honoured with the top exhibition prize – the Batimat Gold Award.

At this year’s Batimat – one of the world’s most important building exhibitions comprising 2,800 exhibitors and 450,000 visitors – systaic AG is focusing on its business division Energy Roof Systems. Over a floor space measuring 290 square metres, the pan-European company is showcasing, amongst other things, the new generation of its multi-award winning, building-integrated energy roof: The company’s own invention, the roof-replacing solar modules referred to as energy units, which can now be arranged lightly overlapping like roof tiles upon request, form the water-bearing layer. A heat pump utilises the waste heat generated during power production for the purpose of heating water and supporting the heating system. Also summertime heat that builds up in interior rooms can be conducted this way – providing hot showers in a comfortably air-conditioned indoor environment.

Member of the SYSTAIC Executive Board Olaf Achilles: “Building-integrated photovoltaic solutions are now becoming the norm. Our new concept of solar power and heat generation on the basis of photovoltaic energy units means that our company once more sets the pace in sustainable architectural design. We are therefore delighted to have been honoured with this impressive award.” Olaf Achilles accepted the prize together with Christophe Vermersch, Managing Director of systaic France, who is equally sure that the heat pump system is a sustainable choice for the future: “Two years ago, we were given this award for our energy roof which by now has established itself as a premium solution in the French and German markets. The concept of making use of photovoltaic waste heat underlines once again our principle of striving for aesthetically homogeneous solutions and cutting-edge contemporary efficiency.”

The Batimat Gold Award is the highest award to be presented by a renowned French specialist jury at what according to the organisers is the biggest building exhibition in the world. Alain Maugard, President of the French quality assurance organisation Qualibat, presented the award comprising a golden trophy and a certificate. In his award speech that lasted just under 10 minutes, Alain Maugard hailed the new energy roof system as the first transfer solution to combine electricity, heat and air-conditioning all within a single, sustainable solar system: “In the future, industrialised societies of the 21st century must be in a position where they can offer just such systems.” The energy roof solutions designed by solar integration specialist systaic AG are being showcased until 7 November at Batimat 2009, Paris, in Hall 7.2, Stand No. 26.