BIPV

What is a Building Integrated Photovoltaic or a BIPV?

Building Integrated Photovoltaics serves more than one purpose. BIPVs produce electricity by the piezoelectric effect and serve as protection for any structure. 

BIPVs are installed to provide shed, block sunlight, and give a modern look to any building, all this while producing electricity from sunlight.

Where is a BIPV used?

A BIPV is integrated into a structure like conventional buildings. BIPVs replace glass windows with Solar windows, parking shed rooftops with solar roofs and solar shades in place of translucent covers. All these changes make the look of any structure modern while being extremely useful.

Types of Building Integrated Photovoltaics

Solar panels are silicon-based photovoltaic cells that produce electricity from sunlight. With micro adjustments according to the application, these cells transform into BIPVs. Based on various applications, there are broadly four types of BIPVs.

Image credit: Research Gate

• Solar-Facades: Solar Facades’ integration in building structures keeps the noise and air pollution out and gives any building a visual identity. This all while producing green energy.

• Solar-Window: Solar windows find their application both in residential and commercial properties. These windows look like any other windows but with solar modules.

• Solar-Roofs: Solar roofs like that of Tesla Energy in the USA are becoming popular. In conventional rooftops, these solar tiles replace asphalt tiles. Every tile acts as an individual cell and connects in series to generate electricity.

• PV-Sunshades: Parking lot sheds are the best example of PV-Sunshades. Additionally, these shades protect buildings from direct sunlight.

How does a BIPV work?

BIPVs use opaque or transparent solar cells connected in series to each other to give a substantial amount of current output. These photovoltaics are located in the portion of the building exposed to the sun the most.

What are big manufacturing brands of BIPVs?

Tesla Energy is one major brand in the USA backed by Elon Musk. They manufacture solar cell tiles for residential rooftops. Customers get a variety of tiles according to the required strength and size.

Some other contributors in this niche are:

• D2solar
• Mysolar USA  
• Omnis Power USA Inc  
• Redwood Renewables
• Skyco Skylights
• Solaria
• Sonali Solar USA

Distributors

Solar Products Distributors

Distributors are those companies working as big warehouses that served as the middlemen between the consumer/customer and the manufacturer. Typically, in distribution, a company is handling the sourcing, stocking and logistics but nowadays they are also helping manufacturers in product designing and solving other business conflicts. 

Aside from other industries, distributors also play a vital role in the solar industry. Solar distributors become long-term partners of solar manufacturing companies and even solar contractors. They are not only serving as warehouse facilities but partners that also provide strategic solutions to help solar companies achieve their desired outcomes. Solar distributors assist solar manufacturing companies by storing. handling and shipping their solar products to their buyers. On the other hand, they help solar contractor companies in outsourcing high-quality solar products. 

These solar distributors are the ones who deal with homeowners who want to go solar, businesses that work with the solar industry and solar installers who offer solar system services to both residential and commercial customers. But on top of that, the solar distributor’s main role is to maintain its commitment to outsourcing and handling high-quality products and delivering them to customers at a good value. 

Up to these days, many solar distributors have been operating and helping many solar companies in distributing their products. So, if you are looking for the most trusted and reliable solar distributor, you can easily find one by checking out solar outsourcing companies that provide easy access to reliable information, news, data and a list of solar suppliers and distributors near you.

Honduras

Solar Market Outlook in Honduras

Honduras is emerging as the first major success story in Central America’s solar energy market. In fact, it earns the distinction as the first one in the region to attain 10% solar production in its energy industry.

In 2016, the state power energy company ENEE cited that 10.2% of the nation’s electrical system was generated from solar sources, specifically through PV power plants. This is a major breakthrough since Honduras becomes the first non-island nation to exceed the 10% mark in terms of solar energy production.

Honduras also leads other Central American nations in terms of the amount of installed PV capacity and is only second to Chile in all of Latin America. This energy revolution is spurring more development in Honduras and there are many investors hoping to take advantage of the photovoltaic boom in the country. With that said, the private sector has a lot to contribute to the growth of the solar energy market, especially after one plastic recycling company decided to install its solar panels to generate its own electricity. 

The forecast is good for the country as solar energy experts believe that the current growth rate is only going to attract more solar investors and manufacturers to the country. Even though the private sector is getting a lot of recognition for this growth, these results are also part of the decades-long effort by the government to push the utilization of renewable energy sources. 

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Honduras

As one of the leaders in Central America’s drive to promote solar energy, there are a variety of options when it comes to solar energy equipment suppliers in Honduras. 

Even then, there are plenty of options for those who wish to import solar energy equipment, components, and other parts for PV and other solar installations.

Top 6 Major Seaports & Logistics in Honduras

The logistics and goods handling capability of Honduras is quite impressive. It has plenty of domestic and international seaports that facilitate transport of essential goods and solar equipment for those who are interested.

These top seaports are as follows:

• Port of Puerto Cortes,
• Port of Tela,
• Port of Puerto Castilla,
• Port of La Ceiba,
• Port of San Lorenzo
• Port of Puerto Coxen Hole.