ARCELORMITTAL develops new range of innovative steels

The new steels, developed by ArcelorMittal's research and development teams, will serve as construction materials while producing energy at the same time.

ArcelorMittal has developed, as part of a research project led by the company's research and development teams, a range of photovoltaic products based on steel. For the first time, steel will not only serve as the outer layer of buildings it will also produce energy. This innovation, which endows steel with new properties, was introduced to assist the evolution of the market towards a model that directly integrates renewable energy sources into buildings, bringing the creation of energy and its consumption under one roof.

The new photovoltaic products developed as part of a research programme involving ArcelorMittal's research and development teams and the company's strategic partners will apply, directly on a steel substrate, semi-conductor coatings which produce electricity via solar radiation.

Steel therefore plays an essential role in the development of more efficient photovoltaic technologies based on thin so called 'second generation' layers. This recent development represents a real technological breakthrough, made possible thanks to ArcelorMittal's expertise in the areas of metallurgy and steel structures for roofing and facades, as well as its knowledge when it comes to the use of vacuum coating technologies to endow steel with optoelectronic properties.

The production of steel solar panels is based on a production process that is more environmentally-friendly compared to solar modules using glass panels.

Source – Strategic Research Institute

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