KIWI Dalgård in Trondheim, part of a chain of around 1,850 supermarkets run by the Norwegian food wholesale group, is one of the first commercial buildings in Norway to use a combination of solar power and battery storage.
The supermarket also serves as a research and development project, a test bed for innovative concepts including solar module technology and energy storage. The project uses CIGS thin-film modules with non-reflecting cover glass for the lower level of the facade and high-gloss modules at the upper level. Solar modules are also installed on the roof.
The building fulfills all the criteria for a passive house. It produces more energy than it consumes; the excess energy is supplied to 60 neighboring apartments in the form of hot water. In addition, charging points for electric vehicles were set up in front of the store.
In addition to producing electricity, the installation of BIPV systems provides all the benefits offered by a classic facade, such as noise and heat insulation and weather protection. As the cell structure on the surface of CIGS modules is virtually invisible, the modules allow for the same aesthetic design possibilities as homogeneous glass facades.
