HORIZON is a worldwide unparalleled solar folding roof. It unfolds when the sun shines and automatically retracts into a storage unit afterwards. With its cableway-based lightweight construction consisting of supporting columns set wide apart at up to 20m and more and at a height of 5m, HORIZON allows for unrestricted freedom of movement underneath the roof. Key to the innovation is the lightweight construction, based on the flexibility of the folding roof, which is achieved through the innovative design of a cable mechanism and the use of non-glass solar modules. The lightweight construction must be protected against severe weather condition by a full climate control system. It automatically avoids poor weather (hail, snow, storm) and HORIZON retracts itself into a central garage, also for its possible self-cleaning each time it folds. HORIZON is modular, standardized, and fully scalable – its basic module can be extended freely.
While conventional photovoltaic systems are mounted on a building roof or installed in a free space, the HORIZON folding solar roof tackles a more challenging approach: the dual-use of spaces in the settlement area. With HORIZON, dual-use of spaces can be made on already exploited areas without restricting their primary function. Wastewater treatment plants (WTP) as one of the most expensive public industries in terms of energy requirements accounts for more than 1% of the consumption of electricity in Europe. Although most of the EU objectives concerning water protection have been achieved, most of these ageing plants show unsustainable energy consumption and must be optimized to the maximum and renovated accordingly. The special case of WTP is the perfect pairing and a huge market niche for our solution since there is a limitation of space between the settling basins for usual ground foundations to install another kind of PVs systems and therefore, there is a lack of solar power in the industry. HORIZON is the unique solar power solution that can be implemented in WTPs due to its lower anchoring requirements for the lightweight construction.
HORIZON has proven the technical, functional and economic feasibility of a pilot plant above the ARA Chur WTP, Switzerland. Completed in spring 2018, the solar power plant will generate 643 kWp and produce around 540,000 kWh of electricity per year. It is consumed 100% directly in the WTP, where it covers on average around 35% of the power demand. Thus, HORIZON is a prime example of meaningful self- consumption. The positive side effect of the system: The roofing of the pools reduces the formation of algae and thus the maintenance effort of the WTP. The HORIZON solar folding roof thus opens up a completely new market segment that bridges the gap between solar systems on buildings and solar systems on open spaces. HORIZON is unlocking the full potential of solar power for WTP.
