BIPV

Western Australian solar window company ClearVue Technologies says it has confirmed the scalability and “commercial viability” of its second-generation integrated glazing units after a mass production run using a standard manufacturing line at a factory in China.

South Korean companies Posco and East-West Power are developing a new building-integrated solar photovoltaic solution. The new product uses special galvanized steel as the panel’s backside that Posco says lasts five to 10 times longer than standard steel.

Scientists in India have proposed using solar modules at the end of their lifecycle as a building material for low-cost small housing units. With solar module recycling currently not viable economically, the researchers said their approach makes conventional solar panels into BIPV products without any modifications.

A time-motion study by United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that retrofitting installations of roof-integrated PV takes 7% less labour time than standard solar installations. For new construction, the installation time drops by 44%.

Local government in the Dutch province of North Brabant will deploy a 500-metre-long solar array on a bike track and test its performance over a five-year period. The PV system will be integrated into the asphalt top layer and will consist of 600 solar panels of an unspecified type.

GoodWe will target low load-bearing and commercial rooftops with a new frameless solar panel that the manufacturer says is 60% lighter than conventional modules to be launched in the Australian market.

GoodWe will initially sell its new 375 W building-integrated PV (BIPV) modules in Australia and Europe. They measure 2,319 mm × 777 mm × 4 mm and weigh 11 kg.

Western Australian solar window company ClearVue Technologies has won a tender to complete a study of its electricity generating glazing technology, which will be installed at a Hong Kong government department’s headquarters as part of a fully-funded field trial.

A recently published report from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme on building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) digitalisation found many industry professionals are unsure of a suitable method for estimating shading in BIPV projects.

A commercial and residential solar installation company with diversified interests as a developer of some of Australia’s biggest solar farms, Leeson Group is now taking a high-performance, Australian-engineered solar roof tile to the global market.