new viable BIPV products
Objetives
Essentially is the development of new viable BIPV products to be installed in buildings across all Europe. Building-integrated photovoltaics –BIPV– are the kind of photovoltaic products that are fully integrated in the envelope of buildings, meeting two functions, the production of electricity and the contrition element itself (that substitute to the former ones). With PVSITES, the ACCIONA Construction’s Technology Centre keep on working on this BIPV research line, where we are also involved in STILORMADE project, and after had been deeply involved in the BFIRST project, devoted to the development of light and customized BIPV products based on composites (check www.bfirst-products.eu).
PVSITES project will demonstrate in several buildings throughout Europe an ambitious set of combined virtual and real BIPV solutions, specially tailored to provide a comprehensive and robust answer to market demands. A detailed market analysis will be ongoing throughout the project, together with digital innovation for photovoltaic simulation and building modeling, in order to implement optimal business models for the BIPV products and related services. PVSITES will accomplish the set up and monitoring of a relevant number of BIPV solutions in real applications, based on a design methodology through Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Software as a Service (SaaS) approach.
The BIPV module solutions include aesthetically advanced glass-glass crystalline silicon modules and flexible thin film (CIGS) technology on metal substrates. Novel grid connection technologies and building energy management tools will be also demonstrated. Life-cycle assessment at product and installation level is another major objective of the project.
The ambition of PVSITES is to pave the way towards a BIPV global market uptake led by European industry in the following years and the emergence of a robust supply chain generating economic growth and opportunities for the construction of efficient buildings.
Milestones
A wide range of BIPV solutions will be developed, virtualized and demonstrated in terms of design, building integration, performance, energy management, operation and maintenance, deconstruction, recycling and cost-effectiveness. The portfolio of new products to be developed includes:
- Products based both on crystalline silicon and flexible thin film CIGS technologies.
- A wide range of constructive functionalities covers glazed and opaque façade systems (including XL tile formats, ventilated façades) and different roofing systems (roofing shingles and panels).
- Moreover, a low optical concentration PV solution with associated passive solar- climate control for building integration in façades and skylights.
- Electrical Grid integration (new inverters) and energy management solutions.
This demonstration activity will test and validate products and solutions developed; it will be carried out in 6 representative buildings across Europe ( Belgium, France, Switzerland and Spain) plus experimental buildings and outdoor test benches, covering different climates, building uses (residential, educational, industrial, carports…) architectural implementations and energy management models. Check the website to follow the progress of the demonstrations.
Duration
Start Date: January 1, 2016.
Completion Date: June 30, 2019 (42 months).
Consortium
An industrial consortium including partners with international reputation in the photovoltaics, building-integrated photovoltaics, construction and energy service sectors, supported by several RTOs and BIM experts for Energy Modeling, has joined efforts to reach this challenging objective.
- TECNALIA Spain
- ACCIONA, Spain
- ONYX Spain
- BEAR Netherlands
- NOBATEK France
- Film Optics United Kingdom
- CTCV Portugal
- FLISOM Switzerland
- CRICURSA Spain
- CEA France
- FORMAT D2 Belgium
- VILOGIA SA France
- R2M SOLUTION Italy
- CADCAMation Switzerland
- WIP Germany