Solar Disguised as Stone, Brick, and Concrete - Solyt’s Solar Walls

Join Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. for a quick look at Solyt’s synthetic stone solar façades, which mimic the appearance of stone, brick, and concrete. With Solyt, solar panels aren’t mounted on top of a building. Instead, the photovoltaic technology is integrated directly into the building’s wall materials. Compared to traditional glass-based building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), this approach offers a lower-carbon alternative while preserving architectural flexibility. 

Solyt’s synthetic stone production is designed to consume significantly less energy than mining and transporting natural stone—by roughly two-thirds—and to have a lower embodied carbon footprint than natural stone, conventional glass façades, and even glass-based solar façades. The system also combines two functions into one: it serves as both an exterior cladding material and an energy-generating surface, reducing operational carbon while replacing what would otherwise be two separate systems.

Even before accounting for energy generation, the material itself offers carbon advantages. It is not quarried like natural stone, incorporates recycled mineral inputs, is lightweight for transport, and is manufactured at relatively low temperatures compared to glass. The solar façade product builds on an earlier material innovation called “Econiclay,” developed by PHOMI. Econiclay is made from recycled stone waste, soil, and industrial byproducts, and is engineered to look like traditional materials while remaining thin, lightweight, and flexible. Its panelized structure also makes it compatible with solar integration.

Façade-integrated solar systems have an additional benefit: they generate electricity from vertical surfaces that would otherwise be unused. However, this comes with tradeoffs. Compared to rooftop solar panels, vertical systems are generally less efficient due to both their orientation and the way light is filtered or diffused before reaching the photovoltaic layer. That said, vertical façades can perform relatively well in certain conditions, particularly at higher latitudes, where the sun sits lower in the sky, and in cooler climates, where photovoltaic systems tend to operate more efficiently.

Similar “invisible solar” concepts have been gaining niche traction on roofs. Products like Tesla's Solar Roof and other solar shingles integrate photovoltaic cells directly into roofing materials, offering a cleaner aesthetic than traditional panels.  Solyt’s approach extends this same idea beyond the roof, bringing additional energy generation into vertical building surfaces—where solar has been incorporated in recent decades, but primarily through glass façades.

Disguised solar walls are still part of an emerging industry segment, and they are not ideal for every project or geography. The most compelling use cases seem to be large buildings with significant façade area, particularly in commercial or institutional settings or dense urban areas. They are typically less cost-effective for suburban homes with ample roof space, although they may still appeal in both residential and commercial projects where architectural differentiation and material sustainability are priorities.

Stronger residential opportunities given all factors might be in California, Southern Europe, and parts of Australia, where there’s good sun and a design-forward environment.  For commercial buildings in high-density, high-opportunity environments, New York, London, Tokyo and San Francisco are promising, as these areas have limited roof space and facades are likely to be larger.  

Matt is excited about the potential for clients who want the benefits of solar energy without the traditional panel aesthetic. For architects and designers, the ability to combine a premium stone-like appearance with on-site energy generation represents a compelling new direction.

Have you seen Solyt’s walls in person? Have you installed and worked with this product? We’d love to hear about your experiences!