Solar Ivy Doesn't Grow, But It's Innovative And Green!
Hanging ivy always looks so cool on the brownstones of east coast cities, its forest green, pointy leaves contrasting with the chestnut or rust-colored homes it covers. Ivy looks like it grows spontaneously on those buildings, as if from some organic particle in the cement. Though biomimicking hanging ivy, Solar Ivy is not forest green and doesn't grow, but it is environmentally green in a very innovative way.
Solar Ivy is one of the first environmental technologies to take advantage of Konarka Power Plastic's ability to make solar cells with an inkjet printer on a wide scale. The Konarka cells are made of an organic photovoltaic and are encapsulated in recyclable and toxin free ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The solar cells are mounted on 100 percent recyclable polyethylene that comes in different colors and opacities - so it can come in green after all.
Solar Ivy is a modular system. The solar cells are attached to a structure of stainless steel mesh - rust proof, strong, and flexible. The cells can be placed in various patterns on the steel for visual appeal, as well as energy intensity. The modules can be designed to adapt to building types and surfaces (even windows), building orientation, and regional climates.
Using as much recycled and reclaimed material as possible, the Solar Ivy company endeavors to insure that at the end of the system's lifespan, that material is recycled and reclaimed to make a minimal environmental and resource footprint.