Beyond the PanelLooking at PV in a Different Light

What Could the Future Look Like?

Christopher Klinga, PETechnical Director

October 21, 2016

Our Mission

Architectural Solar Association (ASA) is an

industry advocate for standards development,

education, legislative regulations, building &

energy codes and solar architecture design

specification as they relate to integrating solar

into the architectural envelope.

We represent a growing industry with a

common goal of transforming building facades

and other architectural surfaces into generating assets.

•

Objectives

Standard Development

UL 1703 is a major barrier to integrating solar with the building

envelope. Changes in codes and standards are the first step

in widespread adoption.

Demand Creation

There is currently far too much uncertainty in the tax code and

how to establish effective financing mechanisms for

architectural solar installations. ASA looks to develop ways to

break down this uncertainty through various mechanisms.

Building Industry Adoption

The US building industry and the solar industry have yet to

fully integrate. Solar needs to be a ubiquitous resource to all

building professionals. ASA looks to make that possible.

•

Overview

• Definition of BIPV

• Architectural Integration Opportunities

• Benefits and Trends of Architectural Solar

• Commercially Available Solutions

• The Future of PV in Architecture

BIPVPV with Architectural Significance

BIPV shall be defined as a photovoltaic

generating component which forms an

integral and essential part of a permanent

building structure without which a non-BIPV

building material or component would be

required to replace it. The performance of

power generation by a BIPV component is

deemed to be secondary to the role of being

a building material or structural component.

BIPV occupies a space in the building design

such that, if removed from that space, its

absence will be distinct and noticeable.

Why is the Market Ready for BIPV?

• Technology Advancements

• Steep $/W cost reductions

• Higher efficiency per unit area

• PV solar has reached grid parity

Compelling BIPV Economics• Competitive IGU COGS• Compelling payback• ITC credits & MACRS• Higher lease rates and velocity

Trending Tail Winds• Government BIPV Regulations • Net Zero Buildings• Green Building Incentives• Strong Desire for Sustainability

Sun Shades

Roof GlazingFaçade PanelsCanopies

Spandrel

Transom (Eye Brows) Selective Vision

Architectural Integration Opportunities

Art Installations

BIPVBenefits

• Increases distributed energy generation potential.

• Capable of serving multiple design intents.• Visually & Functionally

• Capable of reducing cooling load through shading.

• Manufacturing and installation costs can be analyzed on an incremental level.

Compelling Economics

• Ballpark Curtain Wall Construction “Price”

• $80-$120 per sq ft

• IGUs Price – $10-$15 per sqft

• PV Threshold for Tax Credit Parity

• $2.45 per watt PV @ 15% Efficiency = ~$34 per

sq ft

• BIPV Curtain Wall System @ 15% Efficiency

• $104 – $154 per sq ft

• Post 30% Federal Tax Credit Price

• $80-$108 per sq ft

Frameless Module Manufacturers

North America

• Lumos

• SunPreme

• Prism Solar

• Walters & Wolf *

• First Solar

• Stion

Europe

• Energy Glass*

• Onyx Solar

Asia

• Almaden

• Trina

• Jinko Solar

• Canadian Solar

• Risen Energy*

• Yingli*

• HT-SAAE*

* Providers currently lacking UL certification

Benefits

• Solaria Cell Processing

• PVIGUs – Photovoltaic Insulated Glass

Units

• Reduced Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

• Options to tailor transmittance

• Spandrel and Façade Area Integration

• Large surface area potential

• Louvers & Sun Shade Integration

• Increase the useable building footprint

while reducing cooling load

Trends in Architectural Solar

Solaria Proprietary and Confidential Information ©2016 Do Not Copy, Replicate, or Reproduce.

Solaria BIPV – Key Manufacturing Steps

Scribe-

Singulation-

Stringing

Layup &

Bussing

String Lamination

or AutoclaveFinal Test/QA

Silicon PV Cells Glass-Encapsulant-

PV-Encapsulant-GlassPV Strings

PowerView™

Laminates

PV-Laminate

PowerViewA Fully Engineered Façade System

• Design flexibility and custom configurations

• Energy efficiency

• Enables higher glass-to-wall ratio

• Effective daylighting and glare control

• Bird safety

• High energy yield

• Compelling economics

So what could the future look like?

Architectural Solar holds the promise of being highly

suitable for the built environment. The variation in

products and integration possibilities could result in

aesthetically superior buildings with greater functionality.

From a technical perspective, the production process is

reduced in comparison to commodity solar solutions.

The savings in construction time and material together

with the improved aesthetics will contribute to the

success of BIPV.

The final and most important step will be to effectively

integrate solar solutions into the complete value chain of

the building industry.