On May 27, Finland-based steelmaker Ruukki announced that it is the first company to develop a fully-integrated system for building façades to convert sun rays into energy. The solar power system does not depend on the sun's warmth and it enables power to be produced even in areas with no direct sun rays. Ruukki's solar panel façade can produce 18,000 kWh of electricity a year. This is enough to meet the annual needs of a medium-sized, electrically-heated small-family home. Output and capacity can easily be increased according to the area available and capacity requirement.
The solar panel façade has been designed for application in buildings of a high architectural standard that comply with increasingly stricter environmental regulations.