BIPV

Building-integrated PV technology company ClearVue Technologies is a step closer to commercial deployment of its metal-backed solar panels after securing global IEC certification for the integrated rooftop system.

Researchers in Singapore have developed fully vacuum-processed ultrathin perovskite solar cells with absorber layers as thin as 10 nm, achieving high transparency and stable efficiencies up to 12%. These cells balance optical transparency and electrical performance, offering scalable, design-flexible photovoltaics suitable for seamless integration into buildings.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a smart window that combines switchable polymer-dispersed liquid crystal with integrated PV cells, offering controllable transparency and electricity generation. The system balances light, heat, and solar protection while maintaining high visual quality and stable performance, according to its creators.

The lab-scale, near-white heterojunction solar cell uses nanoclay-based scattering layers combined with dielectric multilayer films to preserve power conversion efficiency while enhancing visual appeal. The researchers report optical losses of less than 1% at a 50% clay volume fraction, which are significantly lower than those observed with textured glass.

Spanish building integrated PV manufacturer Onyx Solar is delivering a custom building integrated PV system featuring almost 1,800 solar glass ‘louvres’ designed to help power Australian tech giant Atlassian’s new 39-storey headquarters in downtown Sydney with 100% renewable energy.

Researchers in Canada have proposed using gravity-based energy storage in high-rise buildings, in combination with photovoltaic facades, small wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries. Their modeling indicated that this hybrid system could achieve a levelized cost of energy ranging from $0.051/kWh to $0.111/kWh.

An Indian-British research team has developed a building-integrated linear concentrating PV facade by sandwiching an asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator, PERC cells, and encapsulation layers between two sheets of glass.

Germany-headquartered mounting system specialist Clickcon has developed a new vertical ground-mounted system compatible with commercially available framed PV modules.

Building-integrated PV specialist ClearVue Technology says the latest iteration of its solar vision glass delivers more than 66% additional energy output per square metre than its predecessor, while significantly reducing production complexity and costs.

Conceived by scientists in Hong Kong, the solar balustrade integrates bifacial PV panels and is considered an ideal solution for “cool roofs.” Roof albedo and module orientation are critical drivers of system performance.