Solar roofing, also known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), is a technology that allows solar panels to integrate into the roof of a building rather than be mounted inches above the roof. This technology has made significant progress in recent years, becoming increasingly popular for generating renewable energy in an aesthetic, seamless and pleasing fashion, and usually saves money over time.
Improved Appearance
Integrated solar arrays build electrical production into roofing materials, such as shingles and tiles that mimic asphalt, concrete or clay roofs. New designs are aesthetically pleasing and suitable for cultural landmarks and heritage preservation. For example, Dyaqua of Italy has an installation that is now being piloted in the city of Pompeii.
Builders can achieve a seamless and traditional look with solar technology built into materials. Additional materials like terra cotta, stone, concrete and wood may become available for future projects. Manufacturers also plan to design these modules to reduce airborne CO2 while producing electricity photocatalytically while maintaining a seamless and blended look. There is also a focus on integrating the technology into windows, blinds and even other surfaces like walls, offering new levels of flexibility not provided by traditional rooftop silicon solar panels.
Innovation, Advantages, Disadvantages
While these new solar materials are more expensive than comparable roofing and windows, they have relatively low maintenance costs. And even though they are weather- and time-of-day dependent and require large areas of space for solar production, they set the stage for meeting the proposed EPA Energy Star NextGen certification (currently out for public comment), which will factor in existing criteria, but also include GHG emissions and renewable energy utilization.
Solar photovoltaic technology, in general, is also declining in price and emissions while almost doubling its efficiency over the last decade. Some manufacturers are now confident enough in their products to offer 25- and even 30-year warranties on all equipment and materials, including inverters.Â
Recent research on multipurpose solar installations that can generate electricity at night has also been fruitful. Capabilities may soon include utilizing excess heat to generate power and extract water from the atmosphere in drought-ridden parts of the country.
BIPV still encounters some traditional challenges initially present with solar panels. Integrating them with existing buildings still needs to be more accessible; they have a high initial investment cost and less desirable efficiency in some configurations. Still, many companies are working on solutions to overcome these challenges.
Storage
Battery storage is also proving more practical thanks to the development of more affordable battery storage technology. Homeowners can now store the excess energy generated by their solar panels during the day to use at night or during power outages.
Tesla has had success in areas of California linking homeowner Powerwall battery systems in residential installations back to the grid. This development has reduced the need for rolling blackouts during peak demand hours.
Incentives
The federal government and many state and local governments offer incentives and subsidies to homeowners who install solar panels on their roofs, making it more affordable for many people.Â
- In most cases, Federal Energy Tax Credits of up to 30% of the cost of the materials and installation are available to projects until December 31, 2032, but some limitations apply.
- Some state-level incentives are available, which you can find in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency®. Â
- There also may be local and utility-based incentives, so check with your respective municipalities and service providers for more information.
A Sunny Future
Overall, BIPV is an exciting and rapidly evolving technology that has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a more sustainable energy future and less dependence on non-renewable resources.
The solar industry continues to build out robustness. Stay tuned and see what’s next.