Hanergy unveils next generation thin-film tile

Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd launched the second generation of its flagship product Hantile, a thin-film rooftop PV product, in Beijing on Sunday.

The single-glass curved-shape thin-film solar tile combines flexible solar panels with high-transmittance glass.

"Designed with various shapes and colors, the Hantile has all the functions of the traditional tile and can fully replace traditional roofing tiles," said Li Hejun, chairman of Hanergy Holding Group, at the launch ceremony.

"Hantile can also provide users with unique values in investment, society and culture," Li added. "The power generated by 100 square meters of Hantile in 30 years is equivalent to that of 123 metric tons of coal, and the environmental protection value created by 100 square meters of Hantile is equivalent to the planting of 340 trees."

"The new Hantile was based on improvement of the underlying technology," said Zhang Ying, a professor at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. "The technology upgrade reduces limits of product applications and solves the energy problem."

Based on the firm's thin-film solar technology, the new Hantile features a single layer of glass, and each tile weighs only 5.2 kilograms, which greatly eases the cost of transportation and installation.

The ultra-white tempered glass used in Hantile has a transmittance level of 91.5 percent. The new roof tile can withstand high winds and can generate power at temperatures ranging from -40 C to 85 C, and humidity up to 85 percent.

"Solar panels used to be installed on rooftops, which affected the appearance of the architecture and restricted the design," said Liu Qian, landscape designer for the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. "Hantile integrated Chinese culture and modern technology, paving the way for further development of traditional Chinese architectural forms."

Founded in 1994, Hanergy runs the largest private-owned hydropower station in the world and has become a global leader of thin-film solar power generation. It has registered more than 2,300 patents worldwide.

Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd, the conglomerate's Hong Kong-listed arm, reported a net profit of HK$261 million ($33 million) and a revenue of HK$6.15 billion in 2017, up 37 percent year-on-year, according to the company's annual report.