Expected impacts

Sustaining the BIPV market growth

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is an expansive market, with estimated cumulative installations around 343 MW in 2012, it is expected to reach 1152 MW in 2019, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.7% from 2013 to 2019¹. In 2012, the EU led the BIPV market, with 41% of total installations, followed by USA with 27%. Currently, the evident market growth shown by countries that support BIPV through an encouraging legislation (e.g. France, Switzerland) and the increasingly demanding legislation related to energy performance in buildings in the EU depict a promising future for the sector.

Despite this favorable framework, it is a fact that estimations of BIPV market growth have been subsequently overestimated in the past few years. A series of primary demands from the stakeholders which have not been properly addressed by the BIPV value chain are the main cause for this deviation. These key requirements are mainly related to the flexibility in design and aesthetics considerations, lack of tools integrating PV and building performance, demonstration of long-term reliability of the technology, compliance with legal regulations, smart interaction with the grid and, of course, cost effectiveness.

Fulfilling stakeholder demands

Under this market scenario, PVSITES aims at fostering BIPV technology market uptake by fulfilling the most relevant demands from stakeholders, mainly related to: aesthetics, flexibility in design, cost-effectiveness, high performance, reliability and compliance with standards. This will be achieved by demonstrating an ambitious portfolio of BIPV systems, tailored to provide a robust answer to market request. The project impacts are classified in several categories depending on what is concerned:

• Market impacts, through a 6.6% increase in total BIPV installed capacity in the period 2020-2024. Payback time 5-7 years maximum.

• Increased competitiveness of EU industry with an associated job creation between 19,759-20,658 direct + indirect jobs in the BIPV sector in 5 years.

• Environmental impacts from additional 1,263 MW installed power due to PVSITES from 2020 to 2024, equivalent to covering the electricity demands of 156,500 dwellings in Europe. Reduction of overall CO2 emissions 6.6% higher than business-as usual case.

• Smart management of the building energy demand and the electricity injection into the grid, thus reducing the potential grid stress and the need to reinforce the grid.

• Increased stakeholder awareness and acceptance of BIPV as a consequence of high impact demonstration and targeted dissemination actions.

¹ Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 – 2019.