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.

Luxembourg

Solar Market Outlook in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is looking to capitalize on the momentum it has gained over the past few years in terms of solar energy production. In 2019, the Minister of Energy has opened tenders for the development of a solar power generator that is capable of producing 40 MW of solar power. 

This project is distributed into five lots with 10 MW of solar generation for each. The government will also set a price ceiling for both industrial and non-industrial solar PV installations in order to encourage more developers to participate in the auction.

The International Renewable Energy Agency is responsible for developing policies and schemes that will boost the solar energy sector. Since 2019, the government has set incentives for small solar installations and they have looked into the possibility of feed-in tariffs for small PV systems. In 2019, renewable energy was able to meet 8% of Luxembourg’s total energy needs. 

The growth rate is not steady in Luxembourg in terms of the solar energy installed and connected. As of 2019, the solar capacity is at 10MW. Meanwhile, the solar PV capacity per inhabitant in 2019 was at 229 MW per inhabitant. This statistic has shown a steady increase since 2013. 

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Luxembourg

Luxembourg lacks in terms of the local suppliers and distributors of solar equipment. However, there are plenty of global and online suppliers and distributors to choose from. 

Top Major Seaports & Logistics in Luxembourg

There are plenty of ports that can be utilized for the trade and transport of solar power equipment in Luxembourg. These ports are

• Colmar,
• Hesperange,
• Kayl,
• Fentange,
• Moutfort,
• Mamer,
• Lorentzweiler, 
• Munsbach.