Building Integrated Photovoltaics in Residential and Commercial Construction - North America

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Study Background
Architects, facility managers, engineers and energy consultants are eagerly seeking green solutions for new construction as well as for building retrofits. Due to the combined effects of government spending for energy conservation and recent technical achievements, Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems* offer one of the most dynamic technologies in today's alternative energy movement.

Voice of the Customer
This Principia Study will focus on presenting the voice of customer regarding BIPV products in residential and commercial construction.

Today's BIPV solutions are more aesthetically pleasing than earlier products as well as more efficient, while the threshold barrier 10% conversion efficiency barrier has been broken by most module suppliers. In addition, these systems include integrated functions such as shading and visual glazing, and designs for facades and vertical building surfaces. These visual functions attract the attention of architects, who carry decisive influence on an ever wider range of energy related systems in today's building and construction industry.

Commercialization
Moving beyond hype and promise, recent studies indicate BIPV systems for roof applications have achieved better ROI performance when systems are well integrated into the building design. Where, in the past, a few BIPV panels were installed on a rooftop, today they are being replaced by larger arrays that are integrated into the roofing system. Advances in thin-film PV technologies have led to roofing tiles and shingles made from flexible solar cells.

BIPV technology has reached the point of commercialization. The fight for BIPV leadership in building and construction has just begun, as the battlefield has shifted from the laboratory to the construction site.

As contractors and installers become more familiar with these systems, the day is rapidly approaching when asphalt shingles will be generating greater amounts of solar energy to help offset electrical grid demand for residential homes.

Product and system advances are reducing costs, and will lead to dramatic BIPV growth in building and construction over the next decade. Large building product manufacturers are already committed to BIPV through strategic partnerships with technology leaders. Others will follow.

TECHNOLOGIES

• Crystalline Silicon (c-Si)
• Amorphous Silicon (a-Si)
• Copper Indium diSelenide (CIS)
• Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS)
• Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)
• Organic materials (DSC/OPV)

APPLICATIONS

• Cladding / Curtain walls
• Glazing / Atrium / Spandrels
• Roofing (solar tiles, slates, shingles, single ply membranes)
• Windows / Skylights / Sunshades

* ”BIPV systems” refers to PV modules used in building-integrated applications. “BIPV producers” refers to module manufacturers involved in building-integrated applications.

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