Coloured Solar Technology Turns Buildings into Power-Generating Assets as Richten Energy Receives Recognition at the 23rd National Brand Yushan Awards

With growing demand to decarbonise existing buildings, Richten Energy is using coloured solar technology, modular systems designed for building applications and externally mounted fastening systems to turn existing surfaces – including façades, balustrades, shading structures and carports – into energy assets that combine aesthetic appeal, power generation and efficient operation and maintenance (O&M).

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Chih-wei Ho, Deputy Secretary-General to the President, said that businesses' commitment to 'brand and quality', together with continuous innovation, plays an important role in strengthening global trust in Taiwan. For Richten Energy, the message reflects a principle that has long guided its team: green technology must offer more than a vision. It must deliver verifiable results in building safety, engineering quality, energy data and long-term O&M.

Worldwide, building decarbonisation is moving beyond individual energy-saving systems towards an integrated approach that brings together the renovation of existing buildings, distributed renewable energy, life-cycle carbon management and data governance. For businesses and asset managers, the energy transition of buildings is not just about cutting carbon emissions and energy use. It also brings responsibilities for safety, procurement, measurement and O&M, alongside wider considerations such as the urban landscape and public acceptance.

Conventional solar installations are mostly found on rooftops. Richten Energy, by contrast, uses coloured solar coating technology, low-glare architectural design and systematic installation solutions to address the range of requirements involved in applying solar technology to existing buildings, from appearance and structural safety to construction interfaces, energy measurement and long-term O&M. The result is solar technology that is no longer simply an add-on, but part of the building's life cycle: a near-zero-energy building solution that can be designed, managed and verified.

'This is not simply about making solar panels look better,' said Lee Chia-jung, General Manager of Richten Energy. 'If façades are to play a meaningful part in the net-zero transition, we must address structural safety, construction interfaces, the urban landscape, glare management, energy measurement and long-term O&M at the same time.

'ESG is not a separate report; it is a responsibility we carry throughout the engineering process. Every module, every installation procedure and every carbon-reduction figure must meet our responsibilities to safety and to the people who use the building.'

Real-world validation is what takes a technology from the laboratory to the built environment. Richten Energy has completed two phases of demonstration projects at the Materials Experiment Center, Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior, with both phases having passed formal acceptance. The projects continue to provide data on building applications, power-generation performance, material weather resistance, installation and long-term O&M.

The company stresses that the performance of any solar system must be assessed in context, taking account of applicable regulations, building orientation, shading, module specifications, design conditions and on-site measurements. Clearly setting out testing conditions, engineering safety requirements and data boundaries is fundamental to building long-term trust. It also provides the basis for near-zero-energy building solutions to be procured, formally accepted and managed over the long term.

As buildings increasingly take on a role in generating and managing energy, the company is exploring opportunities overseas. Its recent exchanges on smart energy and building technology have included studies of local climates, building types, regulations and energy needs. Any project, it says, will depend on the site, suitable local partners and agreements reached by all parties. Its current focus is on technical dialogue and feasibility assessment.

Richten Energy has continued to take part in international exchanges on smart energy and building technologies, alongside site studies examining the climate, building types, regulatory requirements and energy needs of different cities. The company said overseas cooperation would progress step by step, based on actual site conditions, local regulations, suitable local partners and agreements between the parties. For now, the focus is on technical exchange, understanding local requirements and assessing feasibility, while building international market experience in a measured and practical way.

For Richten Energy, taking Taiwanese technology global is not about collecting group photos or expressions of interest. What matters is whether each cross-border engagement leads to demonstrable results that can be verified, replicated and maintained over the long term.

Looking ahead, the company will continue to strengthen its capabilities in building applications, material technologies, smart measurement and O&M, with the aim of delivering building-energy solutions whose technical quality and service can earn lasting trust in global markets.

A award will take its place in a display cabinet. Richten Energy, however, is focused on what comes next: bringing near-zero-energy building solutions into cities where they can be put to work, verified and managed for the long term.

Ho Chih-wei (left), Deputy Secretary-General to the President, presents the Outstanding Enterprise Award at the 23rd National Brand Yushan Awards to Lee Chia-jung (right), General Manager of Richten Energy.

Legislator Chung Chia-pin (sixth left), Chair of the National Brand Yushan Awards, and Ho Chih-wei (center), Deputy Secretary-General to the President, join Lee Chia-jung (sixth right), General Manager of Richten Energy, and fellow recipients of the Outstanding Enterprise Award for a group photograph.

Original Article: China Daily News