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.

Switzerland

Solar Market Outlook in Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the fastest growing energy markets in the world. The year 2020 marked a 30% growth rate in the country’s solar market. This growth was backed by the deployment of more than 430 MW of new solar power systems (versus 330 MW of solar deployments in 2019).

The Swiss Ministry of Energy has lofty goals for the country’s solar energy market, too. Based on its “Energy Strategy 2050”, they are targeting 37.5 GW of solar PV installations by 2050.

While some markets have suffered a decline during the pandemic, it seems to have a reverse effect in the Swiss solar energy market. It seems as though the pandemic has given customers in the residential and industrial segment to push through with their renewable energy projects, which includes solar PV installations. It also signaled higher availability of capital to invest on solar projects due to limited spending.

Despite the impressive growth, the proponents of the solar energy programs in Switzerland report that the current numbers are not enough to achieve its climate target.

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Switzerland

Switzerland is home to some of the top manufacturers and suppliers of solar energy equipment in the world. This proves advantageous to the residential and industrial consumers of solar energy supplies as they have access to high-performance solar panels, components, and parts from top brands. 

Top 8 Major Seaports & Logistics in Switzerland

There are several major seaports in Switzerland providing a gateway for logistics companies to transport imported goods and various products in and out of the country. The following are the major seaports in Switzerland:

• Bern
• Basel
• Geneva
• Zurich
• Moehlin
• Montlingen
• Rothenburg
• Lugano

These seaports provide convenient access for transporting and handling solar power equipment and supplies to and from Switzerland.