Building Integrated Photovoltaic Technologies and Systems for Large-Scale Market Deployment

Duration: 2016 – 2019 ● Client: European Commission (H2020) ● WIP Role: Market uptake, Communication and Dissemination ● www.pvsites.eu

Building-integrated Photovolatics (BIPV) is currently an expansive market, in which Europe has the leadership in terms of installations, followed by USA. One of the main drivers for BIPV market growth in the European Union is the increasingly demanding legislation related to buildings energy performance.

However, a continuous growth of the market requires compliance with strict requirements in terms of design flexibility, aesthetics, durability, cost reduction, grid integration, compliance with standards and operation & maintenance. Under the H2020 of the EU Framework for Research and Innovation Programme, a collaborative BIPV project known as PVSITES “Building-integrated photovoltaic technologies and systems for large-scale market deployment” involving a consortium of 15 European partners was launched recently. PVSITES project will demonstrate in several representative buildings throughout Europe an ambitious scope of photovoltaic technologies and systems, specially tailored to provide a robust solution to market demands in the near future. During the project lifetime, a detailed analysis of the BIPV market, the relevant stakeholders and their needs will be performed, and specific business models for the products and services implemented during the project will be developed. PVSITES will accomplish the development activities needed for the set up and monitoring in real buildings of a relevant number of photovoltaic solutions for building integration, based on the most innovative crystalline silicon (c-Si) and flexible thin film (CIGS) technologies. The project will also demonstrate novel grid connection technologies and energy management tools. In parallel, the development of a software tool for the coupled simulation of photovoltaic production and building energy performance will be addressed. Life–cycle assessment at product and installation level is another major objective of the project.