Bricks have long been used to strengthen homes, but now, bricks used in homes and buildings will also generate electricity. Mitrex, a Canadian solar technology company, has developed a unique technology called solar bricks. Solar bricks are bricks that can generate electricity from sunlight. This technology can transform the exterior walls of your house into power plants.
The uniqueness of this technology is that it’s not only suitable for newly constructed homes, but can also transform the walls of older or already constructed homes into electricity-generating walls. Furthermore, unlike typical solar panels, it doesn’t detract from the walls’ aesthetics.
Solar bricks, which generate electricity from sunlight, are a building-integrated photovoltaic technology. Also known as BIPV, are installed on the exterior walls of buildings. They look like ordinary bricks, but they are embedded with solar cells.
The unique feature of this technology is that each brick can generate up to 330W of electricity. This allows homes and buildings to become power plants in their own right.
The unique feature of this home construction technology is that it can be used in both new construction and existing homes. It can be installed on the walls of existing homes or buildings through re-cladding or over-cladding.
According to their website, it was recently used in a 59kW project covering a 4,000-square-foot area. This project transformed the old building into a power plant without making any changes to its design.
Mitrex’s solar bricks use an advanced patented coating technology that prevents excessive sunlight from reflecting off them. You can consider it anti-reflective.
Dust, dirt, and grime don’t easily accumulate on them, making them easy to maintain. Consequently, they are considered a strong material for home construction, proving to be highly durable.
Solar bricks are designed to be flexible to suit construction and architectural needs. They offer customizable facing layers, different panel sizes, and backing options. This allows builders to customize them to suit their needs.
Depending on the capacity of these solar bricks, they can power various small and large appliances, such as refrigerators and air conditioners.
Reports suggest that since a single panel produces 330W, installing 10-12 such panels can create a setup of approximately 3.3kW to 4kW. These can easily power an entire home throughout the day.