building-integrated solar

Solarstone, an Estonian producer of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solar roofs, has opened a 60 MW manufacturing facility in Viljandi, Estonia, to produce a broader range of design and performance specifications.

Scientists in China have outlined a new system architecture for vacuum integrated photovoltaic (VPV) curtain walls. They claim the new design can reduce building energy consumption and yield more surplus power generation electricity.

Panasonic is now testing perovskite-based power-generating glass with Japanese property developer Mitsui Fudosan Residential at a new building in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan.

IEA-PVPS has published a new handbook that provides support for Technological Innovation System (TIS) analysis for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

Researchers in South Korea have developed a process to enable colored and flexible, thin film modules suitable for vehicle and building-integrated PV applications. It is reportedly a low-cost process that does not significantly impact power conversion efficiency.

South Korean scientists have developed a new building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solar cell featuring a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) electrode. This innovation is expected to enhance light scattering and meet aesthetic standards.

South Korean companies Posco and East-West Power are developing a new building-integrated solar photovoltaic solution. The new product uses special galvanized steel as the panel’s backside that Posco says lasts five to ten times longer than standard steel.

Scientists in India have proposed to use solar modules at the end of their lifecycle as a building material for low-cost small housing units. With solar module recycling currently not viable economically, the researchers said their approach makes conventional solar panels into BIPV products without any modifications.

Scientists in Korea have built a light-emitting diode (LED) facade that can be used in combination with building-integrated PV, with minimal power loss caused by shading. The grid-type LED display can be used as a media façade in buildings making PV power generation more aesthetically appealing.

Enfoil is developing a CIGS thin film custom manufacturing business, targeting building-integrated PV applications, such as powering sensors or track & trace sub-systems in trucks. The company is a spinoff of Hasselt University and imec, the Belgian research institute.