Think Outside the Barrel: An Overview of Building-integrated Photovoltaic Windows

Modern renewable energy technologies have been at the forefront of development and implementation for the past few decades. With the current structure of our society being heavily dependent on energy and more environmentally friendly energy solutions, research into new and innovative technologies in energy production is where we, globally, should invest. A renewable technology that has seen many advances is the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. Solar PV’s have become more efficient at harnessing the energy of the sun and converting it into energy for many different real-world applications. With conventional solar cell technology having established itself as a reputable alternative energy source, advances in this industry within the past decade have gained interest and consideration. One of these advances is building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). This technology utilizes photovoltaics “…to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building’s envelope such as roofs, skylights, or facades” (Radut & Mihai, 2015, p.35). This project will examine one specific BIPV, solar PV windows, also known as PV glazing. Additionally, this project argues that with an ever-increasing demand for energy in buildings within the urban core of a city, applications of BIPV need to be considered in order to reduce the environmental footprint of these buildings, while also proving renewable energy for these buildings and in turn requiring less energy from the grid. Furthermore, this project will examine current technologies available within the field of BIPV’s in regards to solar PV windows, current applications of BIPV windows with real-world performance figures, as well as the benefits of this renewable energy application can provide within an urban context