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

Manufacturers

In the simplest terms, manufacturing is the process of producing actual goods or items/products through the use of raw materials, human labour, use of machinery, tools and other processes such as chemical formulation. This process usually starts with product designing and raw material selection, turning them into an actual product output. 

Solar Products Manufacturers and Factories

In terms of solar, manufacturing encompasses the fabrication or production of materials across the solar market chain. The most common product being manufactured by solar companies are the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are made with several subcomponents such as solar wafers, cells, glass, back sheets, and frames. Before a solar panel comes into life, it will undergo a lot of processes, from designing, modelling, choosing what raw materials to use and then assembling them all to make the final product.

More Than Just Solar Panels

Aside from the solar panels, solar companies have many other manufactured products that are required to make solar energy systems work smoothly, like solar inverters, batteries, combiner boxes, and racking and tracking structures.

Having a solar manufacturing sector makes a big difference in supplying affordable solar energy in different areas. Aside from maintaining the rising domestic and global demand for cleaner and renewable energy, they also help the economy grow, particularly the solar industry. If you are in search of a reliable solar manufacturing company, checking out our solar outsourcing company, SolarFeeds, would help you get easy access to reliable information, news, data and a list of solar manufacturers that can help you with solar products.

Singapore

A summary of Singapore’s solar market status

         Singapore’s energy sector has evolved astonishingly over the last five decades. Fifty years ago, the country relied heavily on oil and natural gas for its energy needs. However, challenges associated with climate change and economic growth forced it to consider cutting-edge sources of energy.

 Currently, solar energy is the most colorful option for Singapore’s energy sector owing to several factors. These factors include energy generation potential, technical capacity, and economic benefits. So, what exactly is the status of the solar market in this Southeast Asian state?

As of April 2021, Singapore had a total installed solar capacity of 350 Megawatts. According to pundits, the country was able to achieve this target by focusing on rooftop photovoltaic systems in public residential areas. At present, the government of Singapore is focused on achieving its 2 Gigawatts solar capacity by 2030.

What does this tell you about the future of the nation’s solar market?  Well, Singapore’s solar market will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. This growth comes with vast opportunities for solar installers and other photovoltaic professionals. If you are searching for opportunities, you should seriously consider Singapore’s nascent solar market.

Solar equipment supply capacity in Singapore  

Singapore is one of the leading economies in Southeast Asia. Consequently, it enjoys the services of a considerable number of solar equipment suppliers dealing with a wide variety of equipment categories. Do you need a reliable equipment supplier?

If the answer is yes, the Solarfeeds family is here for you. You can rely on us to help you save time while providing access to quality and affordable equipment. Just visit our inquiry page and request quotes.  

Major ports and logistics in Singapore

Are you concerned about the ease of solar equipment transportation in Singapore? Well, there is no need for concern because the country boasts of a reliable logistics services sector and several ports. Some of the ports you need to keep in mind include;

• Port of Singapore
• Jurong Port