Frequently asked Questions

Yes, Solskin uses photovoltaic technology to produce renewable electricity. But primarily Solskin is a climate-adaptive building envelope which improves the energy efficiency and comfort of buildings. PV energy production is only a part of Solskin, and as such Solskin should not be directly compared to for example roof PV installations.

Solskin moves using a unique actuation system designed for that application. Instead of conventional technologies like electromotors which would need to be very heavy and big to prevent breakdown under outside conditions, Solskin uses a soft robotic actuator which is powered by pressurized air.

Solskin can be applied to numerous surfaces on and around your building. These include opaque and non-opaque facade surfaces such as walls and windows but also goes as far as applications as eaves, solar shelfs, pergolas or on skylights.Solskin is suited for applications everywhere where you get a benefit from renewable PV energy production and intelligent shading and comfort. Consider looking at our product page for more information.

The Solskin actuation system is designed as a highly robust compliant mechanism, this means it is resistant to external forces and can absorb them without taking damage. Imagine it like the branches of a tree which do not break even during storms. You can read more about the durability of Solskin here.

While Solskin uses PV technology, it is first and foremost designed as a smart climate-adaptive building skin, improving both energy efficiency and occupant’s comfort. If you are considering either Solskin or a traditional PV facade for your building, consider the following points. Solskin combines the functionality of a facade PV system with intelligent shading, hence if you intend to use Solskin on the full facade surface you will also fulfill the shading requirements. In terms of energy production, Solskin is capable of improving the energy yield of singular solar cells significantly (much higher kwh per kwp installed). However only a part of the system area is equipped with solar cells, but the system might be applicable to bigger facade areas than traditional solutions. Please contact the team here to get an estimate of the energy potential for your project.

While Solskin uses PV technology, it is first and foremost designed as a smart climate adaptive building skin improving both energy efficiency and occupant’s comfort. If you are considering either Solskin or a traditional PV installation on your roof, consider the following points. Solskin is not designed to be applied on tilted roofs. For accessible flat roofs we would recommend our pergola solutions to turn them into both productive and recreational areas for the occupants of your building, you find inspirations for such applications here. If your main goal for application of PV is the energy production and your roof is not accessible, consider Solskin on the facade, over skylights or as eves, to further improve your energy production but also reduce your energy needs due to intelligent shading.

Solskin is designed to minimize its maintenance requirements. Fierce testing of all parts and the entire system have been conducted to provide you with a high quality product you would expect of a Swiss company. If the need for maintenance arises nonetheless hot swappable parts allow for efficient interventions and our software Solutions monitor the system health 24/7.

Depending on the local conditions, it might be advised that Solskin is cleaned multiple times over its lifespan. Under most circumstances no significant performance loss is anticipated even if a system is not cleaned for multiple years. A cleaning concept is presented with every installation, and our local partners are happy to support you in case cleaning would be required.

If Solskin is controlled by Solskin AI, the system will always try to find the optimal position for the modules. Where this optimal position is, depends on a lot of factors and data sources in addition to your preferences and settings. If you would like to find out more about how Solskin optimizes your energy efficiency and provides optimal comfort you can read about Solskin AI here.

Yes, our user interfaces which are available for multiple platforms will allow you to control the position of the panels manually. If Solskin is connected to your Building Management System (BMS) you might also be able to control Solskin over the interfaces your BMS provides. Find out more about the Solskin user experience here.

Solskin is produced in batches. It normally takes roughly 90 days after receiving the building permit until your Solskin system is ready for installation.

Solskin is permanently installed on building surfaces also in front of windows. With the visually light and airy design however, view to the outside is given all the time. If the Solskin modules are in an open position, they nearly disappear with their 2 mm in width. If you are concerned about the view from your window, get in contact with our team to see a Solskin installation in person or try our VR experience at a fair.

Solskin produces green electricity harvesting the energy from the sun. The energy production of Solskin depends on a number of factors such as orientation of the Solskin installation and its location on earth but also the weather condition. Please note that, as a climate-adaptive building skin, only about half of the energetic benefit of Solskin is in its energy production, a similar amount of energy can be saved by its intelligent shading functionality.

As a climate-adaptive building skin, Solskin optimizes the energy efficiency and the occupants’ comfort in buildings. It does this using Solskin AI, a predictive self-learning control algorithm which continuously optimizes the system performance to achieve outstanding personalized comfort to your liking. More information about the Solskin experience can be found here.