Swiss manufacturer Megasol Energie has licensed MorphoColor technology from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, enabling it to produce solar panels that come in a range of colours and which are capable of delivering at least 90% of the electricity yield of a standard blue-black solar panel.

The MorphoColor layer, inspired by the Morpho butterfly, is a photonic structure that combines an interference layer with a geometrically structured substrate in such a way that a narrow-band reflection peak results, reflecting only a small part of the colour spectrum and allowing the rest of the sunlight to pass through virtually unhindered. The coloured coating therefore only reduces efficiency by 10% or less compared to an uncoated module.

MorphoColor coated panes can also be used for building-integrated solar thermal collectors or for photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collectors. Megasol Energie is focusing on the growing segment of building-integrated PV and is offering a variety of design dimensions including glass surfaces and structures that can be freely selected in all sizes and shapes.

The MorphoColor technology opens up new possibilities for buildings with historical protection status, according to Andreas Bett, institute director at Fraunhofer ISE, and visitors to the BAU in Munich can view green and blue PV modules with the MorphoColor® technology at the Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance booth, and gold, silver and bronze-colored PV modules at the booth of Megasol Energie AG, from 17 to 22 April 2023.