With the height of the buildings increasing, its energy consumption and hence its energy demand was deemed to increase. Further as the space requirement of all renewable energy power plant increases for increase in energy demand, it was time to look for an alternative solution which was both economical and feasible. Solar PV is an immediate option as it costs less and the capacity upgrade requires only handful of expansion. However solar PV was a solution limited only to the rooftops of buildings and with such buildings having a limited horizontal footprint, an innovative solution was needed. One such solution was to integrate the solar modules over/ in place ofthe vertical walls / see through glasses of the buildings. Better known asBIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) system, they integrate PV module with buildings element such as roof and façade which both serves as a building envelope material and generate energy.

In the late 2017 our article titled “BIPV: A Future Tech or a Myth?” we had already introduced BIPV, its features & its challenges. The implementation of BIPV has however now started gaining traction because of the net-zero building demand and the top commercial giants moving to 100% renewable energy. The advantage of installing such modules over the buildings are multi-pronged as mentioned below:

BIPV provides thermal insulation (heating as well as cooling) to the building when it acts as a replacement for wall / windows. It however requires an extra layer of glass filled with gas for such purpose. It could be installed externally or could be an inherit part of the module as required
BIPV module when replacing the wall provides active noise protection/cancellation
The BIPV modules have a wide range of operating temperature from – 40 °C to +85 °C meaning that it can operate in the extreme temperatures & almost anywhere
BIPV enables the building to have enhanced aesthetic or match the existing aesthetic look
BIPV system(s) canbe interfaced with the available utility grid or could be used in stand-alone system/ off grid system
BIPV provides mechanical resistibility and structural integrity to a building
BIPV modules just like the outer façade process from aggressive weather factors like snow, rain, hail, wind, etc.