Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Integrated thinking for photovoltaics in buildings

  • Comment
  • Published:

From Nature Energy

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Recent developments in photovoltaic technologies enable stimulating architectural integration into building façades and rooftops. Upcoming policies and a better coordination of all stakeholders will transform how we approach building-integrated photovoltaics and should lead to strong deployment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1: Predicted annual worldwide BIPV commercial market revenue.
Fig. 2: Common PV installations on rooftops.

Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo (a), Shank_ali / E+ / Getty images (b)

Fig. 3: Examples of façade and roof demonstration projects with BIPV in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Thomas Jantscher (a,b), Patrick Heinstein (c,d)

Fig. 4: Best-practice examples of BIPV worldwide.

David Jackson / Alamy Stock Photo (a), TA images / Alamy Stock Photo (b), Patrick Heistein (c,d), Rene Schmid Architeken (e,f)

Fig. 5: Innovative transformative approaches in Switzerland.

CSEM (a), Olivier Wavre, LAST-EPFL (b)

References

  1. Feige, A., Wallbaum, H. & Krank, S. Build. Res. Inf. 39, 504–517 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Defaix, P., van Sark, W., Worrell, E. & de Visser, E. Solar Energy 86, 2644–2653 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shukla, A. K. et al. Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 82, 3314–3322 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Changhai, P., Ying, H. & Zhishen, W. Energy Build. 43, 3592–3598 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Santos, I. & Rüther, R. Energy Build. 50, 290–297 (2012)..

  6. BIPV Technologies and Markets: 2017-2026 (n-tech Research, 2017); https://www.ntechresearch.com/market-reports/building-integrated-photovoltaics-reports-2017-2024/

  7. Jelle, B. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 100, 69–96 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. van der Wiel, B., Egelhaaf, H., Issa, H., Roos, M. & Henze, N. MRS Proceedings 1639, Mrsf13-1639-y10-03 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Rey, E. From Spatial Development to Detail (Quart Publishers, Lucerne, 2015).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Attoye, D. E., Tabet Aoul, K. A. & Hassan, A. Sustainability 9, 2287 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Solar Energy System in Architecture - Integration criteria and guidelines (IEA, 2012); https://go.nature.com/2Kmsmky

  12. Curtius, C. Renew. Energy 126, 783–790 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hille, S., Curtius, H. & Wuestenhagen, R. Energy Build. 162, 21–31 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Graziano, M. J. Econ. Geog. 15, 815–839 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Bonomo, P., De Berardinis, P. & Frontini, F. In Proc. 28th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition. 4373–4379 (EU PVSEC, 2013).

  16. Aguacil, S., Lufkin, S. & Rey, E. In Proc. 33th International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture (Ed. Brotas, L. et al.) 2, 3000–3007 (PLEA, 2017).

  17. Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme PVPS Annual Report (IEA, 2016).

  18. Clua Longas, A., Lufkin, S. & Rey, E. In Proc. 33th International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture (Ed. Brotas, L. et al.) 1, 192–199 (PLEA, 2017).

  19. Jolissaint, N. Energy Procedia 122, 175–180 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Escarré, J. In Proc. Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (IEEE, 2015); https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=7355630

  21. European Parliament and the Council of the European Union Directive 2010/31/EU on the Energy Performance of Buildings (Official Journal of the European Union, 2010).

  22. European Parliament and the Council of the European Union Directive 2012/27/EU on Energy Efficiency (Official Journal of the European Union, 2012).

  23. Quesada, G. Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 16, 2820–2832 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Heinstein, P., Ballif, C. & Perret-Aebi, L.-E. Green 3, 125–126 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. BIPV Product Overview for Solar Facades and Roofs (SUPSI-SEAC, 2015).

  26. Pagliaro, M. Prog. Photovolt. Res. App. 18, 61–72 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This comment is based in particular on projects supported by the National Research Program NRP 70 ‘Energy Turnaround’ of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Christophe Ballif

  2. CSEM PV-center, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Christophe Ballif & Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi

  3. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST), Lausanne, Switzerland

    Sophie Lufkin & Emmanuel Rey

Authors
  1. Christophe Ballif
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sophie Lufkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Emmanuel Rey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christophe Ballif.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ballif, C., Perret-Aebi, LE., Lufkin, S. et al. Integrated thinking for photovoltaics in buildings. Nat Energy 3, 438–442 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0176-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0176-2

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation