BIPV

Scientists have designed a new building-integrated PV system that uses 30 mm of phase change material on each side of the wall. The array reportedly achieved superior thermoelectric coupling performance compared to reference BIPV systems without PCM.

The 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC) will draw to a close in Vienna this afternoon. Discussions at this year’s event leave little doubt that solar installations will continue to see impressive growth over the coming years. All week there has been plenty of optimism around new policy and technical innovations driving more solar into both electricity grids and urban and rural environments. For Europe, however, the lack of any meaningful capacity for manufacturing these promising technologies locally, puts something of a dampener on things.

ClearVue Technologies, an Australia-based supplier of smart building materials, is providing a combination of its building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology and solar cladding panels in a prefabricated house trial trial.

The Hungarian company said its new products can handle a load of 300 kg. The modules are available with power outputs of 23.65 W and 59.68 W and can be integrated with wood-plastic composite, wood, stone, or ceramic floorings.

Paxos Solar has developed a new glass-glass PV tile that integrates with heat pumps, featuring Longi’s back-contact solar cells. The 44 W, 59.5 cm x 48 cm tile can also produce heat for residential systems.

Scientists in China have designed a ventilated building-integrated photovoltaic system that relies on flexible solar modules with a weight of 6 kg/m2. The system also uses an airflow channel under the PV panels to reduce their operating temperature and increase their power yield.

Eternit S.A., a Brazilian construction materials supplier, says it has developed a 50 W panel for building-integrated PV (BIPV) applications. The 1 kg module features monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) tech.

The latest report from the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) says that building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) could be key to help decarbonize cities in the Netherlands, but it warns that the needs of the solar and construction sector must be bridged.

Smart building materials company ClearVue Technologies has cracked the Middle East and Indian construction markets after signing a five-year agreement with Qatar’s largest glass and façade manufacturer.

GoodWe has cut in half the time necessary to install a waterproof solar carport, according to the company’s Senior International Business Development Director of BIPV, Apollo Chai. He notes that the manufacturer has also already launched vertical and horizontal solar shades to address current gaps in the European market.