Beirut, a city where road works never stop, is starting to use eco-friendly materials. Let’s focus on Aya’s solar panels, one of the most important eco-friendly property development project designed by Har Properties.
Solar panels, whether they are thermal or photovoltaic, established itself as the new component for a green and modern architecture. Nowadays no dwelling can be labelled « eco-friendly » if it doesn’t involve solar panels.
There are two types of solar panels. First, there is the thermal system which works with heath collectors that absorb sun lights and converts these radiations into a storable form of energy. Then, there are photovoltaic panels that basically convert light into electricity. Solar thermal collector might collect either water or air.
Inside the solar thermal collectors that collect water, water or more often a solar working fluid (an antifreeze mix) circulate in tubes. In order to get a better output the whole system is placed inside an insulating box made of glass which works like a greenhouse. In the case of a wide sunshine and moderate water needs, a series of tubes is enough. Around each tube, fins are heated by the sunshine and transfer the heat to the water contained in the tubes. Solar thermal collectors that collect water are mostly used for heating and domestic hot water production. For now it remains the most profitable solution in the solar energy field, all the more that this tool paid for itself in five years.

When solar thermal collectors collect air, the hot air gets in contact with the absorbers that get warm. Then, this heat is ventilated towards containers or farm sheds where it contributes to the productions-drying.
Photovoltaic panels are made of an interconnected assembly of photovoltaic cells. These panels might be installed on fixed structures, or on mobile structure called trackers, that are always looking for the sun. With trackers, you will get a 30% increase in the electricity production in comparison to what you get with the fixed structures. Most of these fixed structures are placed on roofs, either inside the roof or outside. Sometimes upright panels are installed on the facade. This angle is not designed for optimal performance but these panels stand in for the building coating which constitutes a great saving.

Solar panels are eco-friendly and for that reason became known as a key-element in the green architecture world. Har Properties really paid attention to this new detail and developed the Aya building project taking solar energy into account. Doing that, Har Properties asserts itself as a top notch architecture supporter combining modernity and sustainable development.