BIPV Building Envelope Guide for Architects & Contractors

BIPV in the Building Envelope: From Solar-on-Roof to Solar-as-Structure I.  The Evolution of the Building Envelope For about 30 years, solar on buildings meant one thing: finish the building, then bolt panels onto the roof. The solar array was an add-on, bought from a different budget and installed by a different crew, often years after handover. That model is changing. Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) are solar modules that are the building material. They replace the roof covering, the facade glass, the spandrel panel, or the shading fin, instead of sitting on top of them. The difference sounds small, but it changes the economics. With BIPV, you aren’t paying for a building […]