Over 200 registered patents and a team of 30 research technicians are the basis of System Group’s growth and development. Based in Fiorano Modenese, the company specialises in innovative green technology. Its subsidiary System Photonics, for its part, manufactures a photovoltaic system which can be integrated with architectural structures, exploiting ceramic materials.

The system essentially comprises very robust photovoltaic tiles which feature an elegant design and are free of aluminium frames, rendering them especially suited to architectural integration. The company is also promoting its wide range of 13 different colours, as well as passive elements built with the same dimensions and the same ceramic material as the module, allowing for totally innovative solutions. From a technology standpoint, the tiles are constructed with a very thin 3 millimetre ceramic plate acting as a backsheet, and an encapsulator that is 5 times harder and 100 times more resistant than those commonly used (EVA, PVB), thereby guaranteeing durability and reliability.

Among the advantages of these photovoltaic tiles is their easy installation: the module’s specifications render it very easy to install compared to normal tiles. The cascading roof installation guarantees that the tiles can be walked on and the roof will remain totally waterproof, even without the use of sheathing. The fastening brackets scroll through special sliding guides which greatly facilitate the tiles’ installation, placing them simply on the existing infrastructure. The aim of System Photonics’ photovoltaic tiles is to completely replace or integrate traditional roofing, maintaining and improving their insulation and protection functions.

System Photonics also manufactures photovoltaic plates for building facades, designed using the same technology as the tiles, and with a great deal of attention paid during the manufacturing process; employing a high level of automation, with noble highly recyclable materials such as ceramics, or innovative applications such as for the PV5316 encapsulator. Furthermore, the company has established partnerships solely with proven suppliers with years of experience in the photovoltaic sector, enabling them to develop a reliable product with a 25 year warranty on power decay and a 10 year warranty on manufacturing defects. These photovoltaic tiles provide a “functional skin” aimed at exalting architectural design.

Founded in 1970, System obtained immediate success as an industry leader in the ceramics sector, and has provided winning solutions for the logistics, electronics and photovoltaic sectors. The group’s history is closely linked to the innovations, systems and technologies it has developed and exploited. System operates abroad with about twenty subsidiaries; it has recently consolidated its marketing network in the Middle East, focusing on Saudi Arabia, and is also targeting the North American market.