santa clara lighthouse

 

Onyx Solar has provided Photovoltaic Glass to create a Photovoltaic Skylight within the historic refurbishment of Santa Clara Lighthouse, located in San Sebastian, Spain.

 

 

Data:

• Total Area - 64 M²
• Electricity generated in 35 years  - 65.537 kWh
• Total lighting points operating 4 hours per day in 35 years - 129 lighting points
• CO₂ emissions avoided in 35 years - 44 Tons of CO₂
• Barrels of oil saved in 35 years - 39 barrels per m²

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The installation of 64 m² is composed of Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Glass modules with a low transparency degree, besides maximizing energy production, it allows to regulate the amount of light that enters into the lighthouse. In total, it has supplied 24 glass modules measuring 1,603x1,243 mm, and another 8 which measure 1,609x1,243 mm.

 

Those modules have a PV glass configuration 6 T anti-slip + 3.2 PV + 6 T mm, which includes a 16 mm air chamber to provide additional insulation and improve thermal transmittance (U-value).

 

 

 

 

Built-in 1864, Santa Clara Lighthouse is located on Santa Clara Island, within the La Concha Bay in the Cantabrian Sea, so close to the city of San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. It has a focal height of 53 meters, and a support height of 10 meters. It has been closed since 1968, and thanks to a profound remodeling promoted by the San Sebastián City Council, this unique building will soon reopen its doors and serve as a tourist attraction.

 

 

 

 

Inside the lighthouse, there will be a permanent sculpture designed by the world-renowned sculptor Cristina Iglesias, called ‘Hondalea’ (In Basque it means ‘abyss in the sea’ and ‘bottom of the sea’). It is a 15-ton work that  is made of bronze and is located in a five-meter-deep pit.

 

Cristina Iglesias believes that art can play an integral role in the defense of ecological causes and also in the restoration of buildings and/or abandoned places. Her intention is that the project is a space, a place, where something unique can be experienced, and that, at the same time, generate dialogue and make us aware of the need to protect the seas and the environment around us and where we live.

 

Besides providing free and clean energy, the transparent and walkable photovoltaic glass will be part of the artist's work since it will be the sky that covers this permanent piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team:

Client: San Sebastian City Council

Mechanical installers: UXAMA Fachadas Singulares

Electrical installers: artico ingurumena

Sculptural Work: Cristina Iglesias Studio