The concrete roof creates electricity from the sun

Swiss researchers have created a new type of concrete roof that is capable of producing electricity from sunlight.

Dome roof, super thin.

The research team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology built a prototype of a dome-shaped, super-thin, 7.5m roof with a surface area of 160m ² . The thin photovoltaic membrane that covers the roof is capable of producing electricity when sunlight shines, according to Futurism.

The roof is 3 to 12 cm thick with a variety of layers. Therefore, it is capable of insulation and cooling. The prototype roofs created by scientists are about the same size as real ones. In 2018, it will be installed for the first time on the roof of the HiLo apartment building.

The mold for the roof is a stretched wire mesh. The research team covered the polymer fabric to the outside, then sprayed the concrete onto the net. Aerated concrete should be sufficiently wet, but sufficiently strong to stick to the vertical surface. This complicated concrete structure uses less material than conventional.

A dome-shaped roof that is capable of generating electricity from the sun. (Video: Futurism).