‘Roman’ sun roof tiles

At the end of December, the European POCITYF program paid attention to a special project in the Pompeii Archaeological Park. POCITYF is a European Union project to make historic cities greener, smarter and more liveable. The problem with historic sites is that it is difficult to make them more sustainable without coming into conflict with the aesthetic appearance of such a location. Solar panels on a roof of a Roman temple are of course not a sight. So why not 'invisible' roof tiles?

Pompeii of course is famous for the ruins created by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which provide a powerful picture of an ancient Roman city. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. But an archaeological park also wants to participate in the current energy transition trend, and that is not easy. Installing solar panels for instance would simply ruin the antique look. In 2016, the Italian Ministry of Culture and the National Research Council Con- siglio Nazionale delle Ricerche d'Italia signed an agreement to develop innovation programs, especially related to the cultural heritage and tourism sector. Like Pompeii. And so, within the framework of the agreements made, a special project was set up under the name Smart@ POMPEI. Initially, the initiative was intended to develop a smart security infrastructure; innovative but without compromising the artistic and historical elements. This led to a fiber optic net- work and a range of sensors and cameras that had to guarantee the well-being of the monuments and visitors.

In a Smart@Pompei context, the project leaders also came into contact with Dyaqua, a small Italian family business from Camisano Vicentino, twenty kilometers northwest of Padua. The company had developed a special type of photovoltaic panel, in the form of an antique Roman roof tile and specially designed for historic buildings. The company calls it

'Invisible Solar' and according to Dyaqua, each module is not just a photovoltaic module, but an active architectural element in all respects and with different functions.

Aesthetic appearance

According to the Dyaqua website, the operation of the Invisible Solar modules is based on the principle of low molecular density. Each module is formed with a non-toxic and recyclable polymeric compound, specially processed to boost the absorption of photons. Inside, normal monocrystalline silicon cells are built into the module. The surface is opaque to the eye and transparent to the sun's rays. It conducts light that is converted into electricity by the solar cells. In this case, the module is designed as an indistinguishable Roman roof tile, but according to the manufacturer, Invisible Solar can take on the appearance of the main building materials: terracotta, stone, cement and wood. In this manner, the aesthetic appearance of the building or landscape is preserved, thanks to a system that is able to replace the usual roof, cladding and floor elements in terms of functionality as well.

Pocityf

Project POCITYF was set up by the European Union to make historic cities greener, smarter and more liveable. Together with Évora (Portugal), Alkmaar is a 'lighthouse city' or an example city. The two exemplary cities apply different sustainable solutions, which other historic cities in Europe can learn from. They then also apply those sustainable solutions. The other participating cities are Bari (Italy), Celje (Slovenia), Granada (Spain), Hvidovre (Denmark), Ioannina (Greece) and Ujpest (Hungary).

https://pocityf.eu/

Heritage

Dyaqua's customers are mainly municipalities, which own buildings and face artistic or architectural constraints, for the simple reason that they are dealing with a monument. 'Invisible Solar' PV tiles have now been approved by the Italian Ministry of Culture and have also been installed elsewhere. There are plans to use them in Maxxi, the national museum of contemporary art in Rome.

According to POCITYF, solutions such as the traditional PV tiles from Dyaqua are crucial to combine sustainability and preservation, protection and improvement of heritage.

‘One key aspect is to look at the cultural sites, ancient buildings, and historic cities not as obstacles, but as assets for reducing our carbon emissions,’ says architect and postdoc Francesca Giliberto on the POCITYF website. Giliberto is a researcher at the University of Leeds specializing in cultural heritage conservation and management, urban planning and sustainable development. The challenge, she says, is not to mutilate historic buildings for contemporary purposes, but to see them as an opportunity to develop and apply innovative solutions, with respect for cultural heritage.

In an article on the POCITYF website, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, points out the importance of a Pompeii-like approach. The so-called House of Cerere now has a roof with Roman PV tiles and, according to Zuchtriegel, no one can tell the difference. They look just like the terracotta tiles used by the Romans, but produce the electricity the park needs to light the frescoes. According to the park director, the current project is only the beginning. From now on, the park wants to take this solution into account in all future renovation and restoration projects. PV tiles were also installed in the Thermopolium and recently in the Domus Vettiorum

(House of the Vettii). ‘We are an archaeological site,’ says Zuchtriegel to POCITYF, ‘but we also want to be a real-life lab for sustainability and valorization of intangible heritage.’

According to Zuchtriegel, the project is therefore not only symbolic, but also a sign that cultural heritage can be managed differently and more sustainably. Solutions such as the traditional PV tiles in Pompeii are also planned to be tested in POCITYF projects in Bari (Italy), Ioannina (Greece), Granada (Spain), Celje (Slovenia), Hvidovre (Denmark) and Újpest (Hungary).

More at pocityf.eu> www.dyaqua.it/

Material District Utrecht 2023

With 150 exhibitors, an exhibition with 250 materials and a lecture programme with 50 speakers, MaterialDistrict Utrecht will once again be full of material inspiration from 8 to 10 March 2023, again in Werkspoorkathedraal Utrecht. The event is fully committed to the circular economy.

Dates & opening hours MaterialDistrict Utrecht 2023

Wednesday, 8 March, 2023: 10.00 – 18.00 h

Thursday, 9 March, 2023: 10.00 – 18.00 h

Friday, 10 March, 2023: 10.00 – 17.00 h