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
Wholesalers
Solar Products Wholesalers
Wholesaling refers to buying some products or goods directly from its manufacturer usually at a discount and then reselling it to the retailers for a comparatively higher cost than the original. Basically, wholesalers handle products and package them in small quantities and then sell them to retail customers, either for commercial or personal use.
Many industries have wholesalers, and that will not skip the solar industries. Nowadays, many solar wholesale stores/firms are operating across the globe, making it much easier for retailers to go solar. Sometimes retailers find it hard to reach direct manufacturers of solar products because some companies do not have their solar stores/shops in public, with that they are not also offering solar products per piece. Through wholesale solar stores/shops, these individuals can easily buy the solar products that they need to replace or maintain their solar systems.
If you are in need of solar product suppliers for an individual purpose, you may visit some solar outsourcing marketplace to get an updated list of solar wholesalers near your location. There are many solar platforms that provide enough information and data about the solar industry in your region, including all the reliable solar wholesalers in town.
Lithuania
Solar Market Outlook in Lithuania
The future of the solar power market in Lithuania is shaped by a wide range of factors such as feed-in tariff, availability of financing, incentives, and other key players. There are also factors that hinder the growth of the country’s solar power market including the uncertainty of large-scale developments, high capital expenditure, and increasing competition.
Despite the challenges and hurdles that are present, the Lithuanian government along with the Lithuanian Business Support Agency continues to support any step forward in the country’s solar energy sector. One of the major breakthroughs for the solar industry is the construction of a floating solar PV power plant. The construction of this facility cost $270,000 and is expected to produce 900 MW of power.
The first stage of the said project is set to be completed by the end of 2021. There are also more projects lined up to facilitate more solar power generation in the country that would be enough to power 120,000 households.
Since this floating power plant is the first of its kind in the region, the Lithuanian government is hoping that it will attract more investments in the solar power market.
Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Lithuania
The growth rate of the solar energy sector in Lithuania has been slow and steady. This is made possible by the availability of solar power equipment from international suppliers and distributors.
Top Major Seaports & Logistics in Lithuania
Its proximity to the Baltic Sea means that there are many ports serving Lithuania for the logistics and trade activity. The following ports serve as access points in the transport of solar power equipment:
- Klaipeda,
- Vilnius,
- Kaunas,
- Panevezys.
