IEA Task Force Unveils Innovative BIPV Toolkit for Simplified Evaluation

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Task Force has introduced a toolkit designed to simplify the evaluation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). Developed by IEA PVPS Task 15, the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation Tool for BIPV Installations aims to assist architects, system developers, and other stakeholders in planning and optimising BIPV projects.

The toolkit facilitates a comprehensive assessment of BIPV systems across four critical performance categories: energy-related, economic, environmental, and visual. This approach ensures a holistic evaluation of BIPV installations, considering multiple dimensions of performance. The methodology includes a numerical rating system and a classification scheme for different BIPV installation types.

This numerical rating system allows for a comparative quantitative and qualitative analysis of different BIPV installations according to several indicators per category. For the visual indicator, a semi-quantitative approach is used, acknowledging the subjective nature of aesthetic assessment.

To validate the tool, IEA PVPS examined real BIPV installations representing various building typologies. The four case studies included an apartment building retrofit with coloured BIPV modules, an office building with integrated BIPV facades and roofs, terrace houses with standardised BIPV roofs, and a retrofit of an apartment building with BIPV window balustrades. These case studies highlighted the toolkit's applicability across diverse settings and building types.

The toolkit also addresses several challenges, such as data availability, standardisation issues, environmental data variability, and subjective aesthetic assessment. Initially designed for cross-sectional comparison of different BIPV installations, the method is now adaptable for other types of evaluations. These include assessing competing options for a specific project in the planning phase, separate evaluation of each performance indicator, analysis of pioneering installations, and longitudinal analysis over the lifetime of BIPV installations.

IEA PVPS Task 15 aims to establish a framework to accelerate the global adoption of BIPV products in the renewable energy and construction sectors. The goal is to ensure fair competition with Building-Applied Photovoltaics (BAPV) and traditional building components. The task integrates BIPV into both electric and construction technologies, emphasising value-added contributions to building aesthetics, energy performance, and multifunctionality. The task force covers new and existing buildings, various PV technologies, and diverse applications and scales, ranging from residential homes to large-scale BIPV installations in commercial and utility buildings.

The development of the BIPV toolkit by the IEA Task Force marks a significant step forward in simplifying the evaluation and optimization of BIPV projects, particularly given the expected rapid growth in this sector. According to a market analysis report, the global BIPV market size was estimated at USD 23.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.2 percent from 2024 to 2030.