Facade Friday!

Here are some facades that give back, as they incorporate photo voltaic panels to generate solar energy. PV technology has come a long way and so has the aesthetic. Sadly, the price to do this (first costs) is still high enough that it's hard to get something like this incorporated into a project.

Manchester College or Arts and Technology, image from Design-Build Solar


Here, the panels act as functional screens to add shade and privacy to residential porches:

Paris Social housing by Pilippon-Kalt Architects, image from igreenspot.com

And here they act as windows - a nice feature of many of these panels is that they are transparent so light can be let in.

Images from Solar-constructions.com

And architect Simone Giostra has figured out how to project images from them. 

Very Cool. Image from 3rings.com

What I like about all of these examples is how the panels are used for multiple purposes. They harness energy, act as windows/screens/signage, and add interest and texture to their respective facades.