The Science Tower shows the combination of PV-tracking and sun protection per etage instead of an external sun protection in front of every window. Due to the cylindrical shape of the Science Tower, the mobile sun protection can follow the sun 360° (at least: 270° in summer and 90° in wintertime) hence PV-energy-harvesting and shading the tower is under best conditions.
The mobile sun protection extends over about one third (115 °) of the circumference and consists of room-high, ultra-light photovoltaic panels, which exactly conceal the windows of the inner facade and also generate maximum electrical energy at the moment of maximum shading – surplus energy is stored or fed into the smart grid. The mobile sun protection travels incrementally, sun-synchronously in 5-10 minutes intervals once every 24 hours around the Science Tower. The photovoltaic elements always provide the optimum shading without complete blackouts, since stray light on the sides of the ultralight PV still contributes sufficiently to the natural lighting of the interior. The 11 ultralight PV panels (26m² or 4000W) are mechanically moved clockwise on a sled system. The energy produced is AC-fed into the network of the Science Tower and primarily used to power the Science Tower.