The Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) of Bahrain exported nearly 1.1 million tonnes of its products to global markets in 2015, its chairman Dr Ahmed Al Sharyan told shareholders at their general assembly.

The supply will help create one of the largest photovoltaic buildings of its kind in the world.

Emirates Insolaire, a pioneer in the development and application of Kromatix solar technology, is a joint venture of Dubai Investments and SwissINSO Holding Inc.

The solar panels, covering a total area of more than 6,000 sq m, will be installed on the façade of CIS Nordhavn, making it the first school across the globe to have a complete photovoltaic façade and one of the largest building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) projects in the world. Construction has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2016.

SolarLab is producing the photovoltaic modules with Emirates Insolaire’s Kromatix solar glass while CF Moller Architects, one of Scandinavia’s oldest and largest architectural companies, are the project architects.

Once completed, the panels, which will be individually angled to create a sequin-like effect, will supply more than half of the school’s annual electricity consumption – producing about 300 MWh per year, which is equivalent to the energy needs of 70 single-family homes – and will be one of the largest building-integrated solar power plants in Denmark, thus setting new benchmarks in sustainability in the country.

Khalid bin Kalban, managing director and CEO, Dubai Investments, said: “The project in Copenhagen, being executed by Dubai Investments-Emirates Insolaire with Kromatix technology, falls within the scope of the MoU signed between the governments of the UAE and Denmark to boost cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability.”

Rafic Hanbali, managing partner of Emirates Insolaire, said: “Emirates Insolaire is privileged to receive the contract for the Copenhagen International School Nordhavn. The project is very important for Emirates Insolaire and offers the company significant inroads into Europe and the rest of the world for its unique technology. Emirates Insolaire has brought in a paradigm shift in solar applications by introducing aesthetic appeal to façades coupled with added efficiency.” 

John Bo Jacobsen, chairman of the board of the Property Foundation Copenhagen International School, said: “We are proud that with the construction of the new school we can integrate innovative architecture into our teaching principles. The goal of the school is to enhance students’ competences in an international environment so that they become responsible citizens of the world with a focus on
sustainability.”

Peter Roedder, managing director of SolarLab, added: “SolarLab is privileged to have won this iconic project for Copenhagen International School; it is a major milestone in our journey. Our partnership with Emirates Insolaire will go a long way in introducing this unique coloured solar panel technology.”

Emirates Insolaire, which installed the world’s first Kromatix coloured solar PV modules in Switzerland and Austria last year, is witnessing considerable interest for its solar panels globally, amidst rising demand and awareness towards a more sustainable future. The company is expecting an exponential demand with projects arising in many markets where there could be preference for such glass.

One of the important advantages of the Emirates Insolaire technology, apart the beauty of its products, is that the coloured Kromatix solar panels offer high efficiency while allowing vertical integration and less demand on horizontal required space.