With solar cells, passive house technology and geothermal energy the 11-storey building with 336 hotel rooms is Scandinavia’s first zero-energy hotel and the world’s most photovoltaic-dense.
The south-facing facade and roof have been covered with over 2,500 square meters of solar cells, covering the building’s annual electricity consumption. This makes the hotel the world’s most photovoltaic-dense.
Solar cells are often installed on top of roofs, with no regard for appearance. In hotel Solna they add to the shape of the roof and are embedded in glass panels of different colors and shapes on the façade. By integrating the solar cells into the design, the facade still contributes high aesthetic values to the surrounding.
This new way of working with solar cells requires good collaboration. Solar cells, solar shading and façade lighting must work together. By etching the photovoltaic glass and using grooves, a lively facade is created without affecting the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. Integration of photovoltaics as a natural part of the building’s design is a topical and important aspect of the transition to renewable energy.
The building is supplied with cooling and heating from heat pumps that efficiently charge and draw energy from borehole storage.
The elevators charge when they go down to power the ascent while the hotel generates more electricity that it consumes.