ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCES OF BUILDING-INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS

Abstract

One of the most prominent renewable energy technologie, where the sunlight is converted into electricity is solar Photovoltaic technology (PV). Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelopes, such as the roofs, skylights or façades. These materials can be easily integrated to the buildings giving new shapes, new possibilities, new forms of building façade, roof system installation, efficient operation and other practical aspects. At global level, the electrical energy from the PVs stands for one crucial component of our energy future and aids to preservation of valuable natural resources. In recent years, BIPV has been developing rapidly and it has become increasingly attractive for future research and application due to advances in technology, the reduced cost of PV materials, etc. The objective of this paper is to highlight the progress of previous research on the electrical performances on BIPV systems and also to point out energy and environmental benefits of BIPV systems.