Ruukki has Developed a Fully-Integrated Solar Panel Facade

HELSINKI, May 27, 2011 -

Ruukki is the first company to have developed a photovoltaic system that
has been fully integrated into a facade to convert sun rays into energy. The
solar power system does not depend on the sun's warmth, only its radiation.
The electricity generated is used either to meet the building's own needs or
is fed into the electricity grid.

(Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110527/457364 )

The solar panel facade has been designed for application in buildings of
a high architectural standard that comply with increasingly stricter
environmental regulations. Developed and patented by Ruukki, the system is
fully integrated into the facade and is the most cost-effective way on the
market to make a fully-glazed facade that generates energy from the sun. The
system enables power to be produced even in areas with no direct sun rays
since the technology can also utilise sun rays in cloudy weather. In snowy
areas and next to water, the system increases output from reflected rays.

"The solar panel facade is Ruukki's response to the need to produce
energy from renewable energy sources. The main message of the product is
sustainable development and ecology, which are combined with Ruukki's newest
technological innovations and the latest technology available," says Jouni
Metsamaki, SVP, Building Components, at Ruukki.

In the facade of an average-sized office building in Finland, for
example, Ruukki's solar panel facade can produce 18,000 kWh of electricity a
year. This is enough to meet the annual needs of a medium-sized,
electrically-heated small-family home. Output and capacity can easily be
increased according to the area available and capacity requirement.

Fully integrated into the facade

"The unique concept in Ruukki's solar power system is that it is fully
integrated into the facade of the building, both functionally and visually.
The almost completely black fully-glazed facade enables solutions of a high
architectural standard," says architect Laura Paunila at Ruukki. No visible
fastenings have been used and thanks to their even colouring, the PV modules
based on thin-film technology are aesthetically pleasing, unlike, for
example, panels of crystalline silicon.

A sun panel facade is ideal not only for office and commercial
construction, but also for residential and commercial construction. The
system does not limit choice of base materials or type of building and the
facade can be installed in newbuild and renovation construction and on
different bases.

Flexible, case-by-case design and easy implementation

A solar panel facade is the easiest and most effortless way for a
building to generate electricity. The system is based on modular solar power
or PV panels, which have been made from glazed PV modules and Ruukki's steel
rainscreen panel system. The modules are almost black in colour. They can be
combined with Ruukki's other facade products and are part of the Ruukki
Design Palette range of facade products, which allow the size and shape of
the other components in the facade to be freely defined. The PV modules are
based on CIGS thin-film technology (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide), which
is a commonly used technology in solar cells.

A solar panel facade has a similar structure to Ruukki's Liberta
rainscreen panel facade and is installed just like an ordinary Ruukki facade.
The facade has been pre-designed and delivery includes all the components and
supplies required at the site. Also the cabling system has been pre-designed.
On-site installation is both fast and easy.

Rautaruukki supplies metal-based components, systems and integrated
systems to the construction and engineering industries. The company has a
wide selection of metal products and services. Rautaruukki has operations in
27 countries and employs around 11,700 people. Net sales in 2010 totalled EUR
2.4 billion. The company's share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
(Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). The Corporation uses the marketing name Ruukki.

www.ruukki.fi

For more information, please contact: Jouni Metsamaki, SVP, Building
Components, Ruukki Construction, tel. +358-20-592-9114

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