The Future of Solar is Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is the next generation of solar systems that use photovoltaic materials to replace traditional building materials in commercial, industrial and residential building construction. These materials replace traditional building envelope construction for windows, roofs, skylights, and curtain walls with energy generating photovoltaic products as a primary or supplementary energy source. While generating energy is the primary function of the integrated photovoltaics or solar cells, many architects are considering BIPV for aesthetic value and to reduce construction waste.
The aesthetic benefits of BIPV are obvious to most building owners and architects. Many people are understandably hesitant to jeopardize the design and aesthetic features of a building or home with obtrusive solar racking systems within general sightlines. Architects design beautiful homes for discerning owners and are simply reluctant to install solar racks within public view. And because there are few places to hide the racks, many owners opt out of solar altogether. BIPV offers both aesthetics and carbon footprint reduction, so why would anyone construct buildings any other way?
The other growing benefit of BIPV is the focus on reducing construction waste. Traditional solar produces waste by adding solar to an existing building envelope. Yin Man, Digital Director at the Office of the Building Commissioner leads a team working with industry to innovate and “design waste out” of the construction process. To get to carbon neutral, reduction of waste and duplication of roofing and solar elements is an obvious step in the right direction. The current rack mounted approach to solar PV on buildings is wasteful, unnecessary, and outdated.
These benefits make BIPV one of the fastest growing trends in the photovoltaic industry, yet adoption differs considerably by country. Some countries offer additional incentives for building integrated photovoltaics above the traditional feed-in tariffs for solar systems. France, for example, offers an extra EUR 0.25/kWh for BIPV systems.
So, what are we doing in Australia?
In 2017 the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) awarded $29.2 million for 20 research projects to propel the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. The focus was on “early-stage research to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of solar PV, from creating flexible solar devices to making semi-transparent, high-efficiency solar cells for integrating into windows”, according to their press release.
RMIT Associate Professor Rebecca Yang was appointed by the International Energy Agency Power Systems Program as the sole Australian expert and is leading a team of more than 30 experts from 15 countries to research BIPV digitalization in 2020-2023.
Although there is strong demand for BIPV broad adoption across all segments has been hampered by a lack of confidence in economic returns to owners. Assessments to review the economic value of recent commercial projects, however, have revealed that projects are economically feasible when both direct and indirect benefits are measured.
An exciting segment of commercial BIPV is the development of glass integrated photovoltaics, or transparent photovoltaics, that turn all windows, curtain walls and skylights into an energy generating building envelope. Designers can currently choose between low and high transparency glass products that produce energy; however, efficiencies remain low in comparison to traditional PV panels, 25 to 50 Wp/Sqm as opposed to 200 Wp/Sqm. Research will continue to improve the performance of these technologies and the economic benefits will support greater adoption over time.
The segment that leads BIPV is roof integrated solar for residential homes.
The Clearline Fusion roof integrated solar panel system was introduced in the UK in 2016 and now enjoys 60% solar market share in the new build residential market. Clearline Fusion has expanded into Europe, America and, through SOllOS, to Australia. The evidence is clear, BIPV is being driven by roof integrated solar because it is competitively priced, yet it reduces construction waste and looks great. Why would you do it any other way?