REVISTA DYNA ENERGÍA

The permanent collaboration established aims to create ceramic tiles with electronic functionality embedded by surface printing that offer new possibilities for architecture while taking into account the environment. The patent has already been registered, and work is now underway on the development of pre-industrial prototypes with cities such as Valencia, Leuven, Udine and Frankfurt am Oder as the first implementation cities.

Currently, the researchers are developing a system that preserves the functionality of the embedded electronics through a process that can withstand both the high mechanical stresses present during pressing and the extreme firing temperatures, allowing the full integration of the electronic functionalization into the industrial tile manufacturing process. The raw material of the tile is reduced to a ceramic powder mixture which, after pressing, is fired at 1200 °C, so creating electronic components that can survive such temperatures is a challenge. To overcome this, the aim is to control the amount of oxygen present during the process, something that is currently feasible in laboratories, but not practical for industrial use. At the same time, the team is working on controlling the porosity of the ceramic, since space is needed inside the tile to be able to accumulate the electrical energy generated photovoltaically to power the various electronic circuits in the building.

Although no specifics are provided, it is indicated that the energy generated would be low-level, but continuous, and would not affect the exterior appearance of the building. Such energy could be used for a variety of functions, such as powering pollution sensors and environmental monitoring. In addition, the new IfM-UPV model would facilitate the option of environmentally adapting historic buildings, reaching places where solar panels are not usually appropriate, and allowing heritage elements to be greened without losing their protected character.