Solarvalley BIPV: Leading-Edge Cluster Solar Valley Central Germany BIPV building and electrical system integration project

Sub-project: Construction law and test  procedures

Objectives and work programme

The Leading-Edge Cluster Solarvalley Central Germany sees leading businesses, research institutions and universities in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia come together to make Central Germany one of the leading regions for photovoltaics in the world. The objective of the project is to turn solar power into an indispensable part of the global energy market that should soon cost no more than conventional electricity. The sub-project for the testing procedure for building and system integration (BIPV) pursues this objective with a focus on the field of buildings. Here, the required cost reduction and increase in efficiency can only be achieved with extensive structural and electrical system integration. This requires new, adapted components to be developed. Another aim is to close the gaps in construction law. Costly and time-intensive consent and approval procedures are an obstacle to the more widespread implementation of BIPV.

Thin-film technology will be used as the basis for developing flexible thin-film solar cells, as well as large-scale transparent or opaque modules to create components with a high level of aesthetic quality. By optimising the integration process, the new products can both fulfil the classic functions of the building envelope and better adapt its electricity yield to the conditions the building experiences, such as frequently occurring shade. A new generation of the system technology is also to be created: Power inverters and system concepts must become more flexible to account for the special characteristics of BIPV. A total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) methodology is being developed in parallel for the financial assessment of the entire system. This is intended to balance the overall costs, savings and revenue throughout the technology’s lifecycle.

The Institute of Building Construction performs the modification and development of new testing methods that comply with construction law for integration into existing regulations and established toolkits that assist architects and construction engineers in planning BIPV systems. The proposed technological developments by industrial partners are supported by construction expertise and experimental testing. More information available at www.solarvalley.org.