What is BIPV?
BIPV stands for Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics. This technology allows buildings to generate energy directly from the sunlight to the regular electricity by means of Photovoltaic system. First, what is photovoltaic system and how does it work? The PV system converts light (photons) into electric voltage (voltaic). The PV system consists of a cell modulearray. (“How Does PV Work?”) A cell consists of two layers of semiconductors, usually silicon, mixed with chemicals (phosphorus and boron). (“How Does PV Work?”) • the cell is covered with the Anti Reflecting Coat to reduce light reflection. • the n-type semiconductor is mixed with phosphorus. This creates a free flow of electrons. • similarly, the p-type semiconductor is mixed with a small amount of boron, which in turn creates positively charged “holes”. • the p-n junction experiences a strong electrical field as electrons and holes move toward each other. When sunlight strikes the field, the electrons and holes are forced to separa
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) can replace conventional building façade materials with photovoltaic (PV) architectural elements to generate energy. Photovoltaic (PV) solar technology generates energy from the outset without any requirement for an external source of fuel. By integrating Vidursolar PV modules on a large scale in an urban environment, maximum use can be made of its unique characteristics for renewable technology. These factors, combined with a high degree of modular flexibility, ensure that (PV) panels are “a technology of the future”. Their electrical generation capacity meets the challenges for our era of sustainable integrated building.
Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or facades. They are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power, although existing buildings may be retrofitted with BIPV modules as well. The advantage of integrated photovoltaics over more common non-integrated systems is that the initial cost can be offset by reducing the amount spent on building materials and labor that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the BIPV modules replace. In addition, since BIPV are an integral part of the design, they generally blend in better and are more aesthetically appealing than other solar options. These advantages make BIPV one of the fastest growing segments of the photovoltaic industry.
Let’s try to clear this mess up. BIPV stands for Building Integrated Photovoltaics and refers to solar energy technologies that are integrated into a building’s façade or roof. The idea is that solar cells would not be an addition to a building, but rather incorporated directly into the building materials by way of shingles and glass (windows), although some BIPV components can be retrofitted onto a building. In the future, solar cells may even be printed onto brick and other external materials, but that is highly contingent upon developments in nanotechnology and few investment opportunities exist for that technology right now. If anything does pop up, I’ll be sure to pass it along. BIPV Companies For starters, let’s take look at a few of the most prominent BIPV-related companies out there. I’ll do my best to summarize each company’s technology and investment potential for each. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (STP) When Suntech acquired Japanese company MSK Solar in August 2006, it i
According to wikipedia: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are increasingly incorporated into new domestic and industrial buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power, and are one of the fastest growing segments of the photovoltaic industry. The idea behind BIPV is to reduce the installed cost of a PV system by making a photovoltaic module (solar panel) in the form of a building element such as a roof tile, roof membrane or facade panel. In general BIPV modules are designed to look nicer. Here’s an example of BIPV in the image below: The CIS Tower, Manchester, England, was clad in PV panels at a cost of £5.5 million. It started feeding electricity to the national grid in November 2005. BIPV is still a small part of Suntech’s business and the overall solar market. But that’s rapidly changing for this BIPV stock. It’s also one of the reasons why Suntech opened its US headquarters in San Francisco. Suntech’s 2 Major BIPV Projects San Francisco is the site of two
