With the use of solar energy gaining momentum in India, technology is advancing fast and innovative products and concepts are developed faster, giving rise to new business potential for solar players….
With the use of solar energy gaining momentum in India, technology is advancing fast and innovative products and concepts are developed faster, giving rise to new business potential for solar players. A new solar application based on building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology is being used in India, and companies like Moser Baer Solar Ltd. and Tata BP Solar have commissioned projects based on this technology. BIPV technology is cost effective, as instead of conventional material, one can use solar panels to build one“s home, office or other commercial buildings. This technology integrates PV modules into the building envelope such as the roof, facade or the glass panels. These solar panels can simultaneously serve as building envelope materials and as a power generator, saving materials and electricity costs, as well as reducing the use of fossil fuels and emission of ozone depleting gases. Although the solar panels are more expensive than the materials commonly used in construction of buildings, by avoiding the cost of the conventional building materials, the incremental cost of PV modules is reduced. BIPV solar panels may cost 25%-30% more than glass panels, but over time the cost will be recovered as the panels generate power for the building. Moser Baer has recently used this technology and converted the exterior faade of the Jubilee Hills shopping complex in Hyderabad into solar panels and erected a 1.8 kWp solar application. Tata BP Solar has also used BIPV technology at the Samudra Institute of Maritime Studies in Pune.