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Dear reader, we hope that this newsletter finds you well despite this challenging situation.
These exceptional circumstances have made the project team adapt to a new way of working. We are in constant contact and we ensure that all team members are keeping engaged and pushing towards delivering the project activities.
We desired to keep you informed and inspired, to this end we have compiled a summary of the latest advancements in this newsletter.
Last but not least, we would like to send a message of support to all the services that are currently fighting the spread of the Covid-19 around the world.
Stay healthy and take care. The BIPVBOOST project team
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BIPVBOOST continues publishing reports from the results obtained during the last months of project implementation. The reports listed below are available on the project website. |
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*This report has been updated in January 2020
The report provides an extensive and detailed analysis of the cost competitiveness status of BIPV solutions in Europe, taking different approaches, which can provide all interested stakeholders a detailed vision of the current economic situation of BIPV. A wide variety of BIPV products have been included, assessed in different countries under various relevant business models. The methodology developed in this report will be used as a basis for the definition of the BIPV cost-reduction roadmap.
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From the current regulatory framework, it arises the need to identify a new “multi-disciplinary” approach in order to set reference performance levels and new test methodologies suited to assess the quality of PV in building skin. This report provides an overview on the current normative framework, including the definition of some relevant missing gaps and a roadmap to define new reference procedures for BIPV products qualification, as the basic ground for next developments in the coming years.
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The project team has been actively immersed on analysing the state-of-the-art in BIPV standardization, the current missing gaps and the main routes for the development of qualification procedures in BIPV to support the market with a new performance-based approach suited for a multifunctional product. The analysis can be graphically summarized in the workflow presented in the figure below.
Furthermore, this work have been compiled in the "Report on standardization, performance risks and identification of related gaps for a performance-based qualification in BIPV”.
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Workflow of current normative status for BIPV sector with missing gaps and harmonization needs. As future activities, a route for a new performance-based approach to ground next BIPV qualification developments is proposed.
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As the next step, specific requirements and performance-based testing methods (and calculations where needed), able to address the specific features of BIPV systems, will be concretely developed and elaborated in the coming parts of the project addressing some key technical requirements including energy economy, electrical performance in non-conventional scenarios, mechanical and fire safety. The feedback of the industrial partners and the relation/coordination with other project activities is a key-part in order to also support the needed qualification procedures for real products by ensuring the basis for the safety incorporation of the construction products in the demo-cases according to Construction Products Regulation and Low Voltage Directive.
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Led by the project member Becquerel Institute, progress until now allowed the quantification of the competitiveness status of BIPV solutions in Europe. This was made possible based on a holistic evaluation methodology, taking also into account the added value of BIPV as a building component. This was completed by an analysis of its key influencing parameters and the definition of cost targets for manufacturers and installers.The findings are presented in the report "Cost competitiveness status of BIPV solutions in Europe"
In parallel, an analysis of the BIPV market’s segments was conducted, allowing the proejct to characterize the different BIPV applications and to define BIPV archetypes. This work can be consulted in the report "Collection of building typologies and identification of possibilities with optimal market share" published oin the website.
Then, a methodology to evaluate the contribution of BIPV to energy scoring as defined in countries’ nZEB regulations was developed and applied to various reference cases. It allowed us to compare the cost-effectiveness of BIPV investment with regards to nZEB objectives’ completion and compare it competing on-site RE solutions, such as BAPV or solar thermal. This work is being summarized in a report which should be available on our website this summer.
Finally, the necessary information to measure the environmental performances of BIPV products and applications developed in the project was collected, permitting to conduct a first draft of the LCA screening of each of the demo sites. An overview of the main findings of the environmental assessment of BIPV products and systems will be published at the end of the project.
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Within BIPVBOOST several technologies are being developed with the aim of achieving cost-effective and multifunctional BIPV systems for the building skin.
On one hand, PIZ, SUPSI and ONYX are developing a multifunctional BIPV façade cladding system with integrated thermal and acoustic insulation. Different solutions have been studied and tested, resulting in the manufacturing of the first prototypes both with glass-glass PV modules and with CIGS PV modules.
On the other hand, SCHWEIZER and FLISOM are developing an enhanced and cost-effective BIPV roof system based on CIGS modules on a metal substrate. Different lightweight metal substrates and surface treatments have been assessed and tested. Besides, the first prototype of the system has been manufactured, as shown in Figure 1. Moreover, different measures are being implemented in order to reduce costs both in the CIGS module production and in the roof mounting system.
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Figure 1. BIPV roof system prototype (Source: SCHWEIZER)
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In parallel, TULIPPS is developing an enhanced and cost-effective BIPV façade system based on the design and production optimization of the existing Click-&-Go mounting system. The Click-&-Go mounting system is a secure solution to mount any size of frameless PV module in a beautiful and secure way. Among other improvements, TULIPPS has optimized the mounting rail system aiming at simplifying the installation process and increasing its mounting versatility (vertical, tilted and combined with passive cladding), as shown in Figure 2.
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Figure 2. Installation trials of the optimized mounting rail system: Vertical installation of colored PV module with passive cladding (left), Tilted installation of PV modules with passive cladding (right) (Source: TULIPPS)
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Thanks to BIPVBOOST, the consortium member, SCHWEIZER adopted a series of cost reduction measures in their solar roof solution Solrif® that allowed the development of refined parts of the system. More specifically, Schweizer deployed and is currently offering a standardized set of flashings that at the moment can be adapted to specific and individual dimensions of the Solrif BIPV roof modules in a range of +/- 25 mm.
"These refinements resulted into a reduction in complexity, storage and capital. Therefore, it should reduce these “hidden” transaction costs and smooth the downstream value chain" says Andreas Haller, Head of Innovation and Development of the solar energy systems division from Schweizer.
The full description of the Solrif® technology and projects developed can be visited in www.solrif.com |
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