- Focus on innovation in solar building skins / building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)
- The second IPV workshop was organized in Berlin with the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin and SETA Network, London
- Further events planned in Spain, France and the Netherlands
The conference and workshop on Innovation in Solar Building Skins & Energy Efficiency towards Sustainable Cities took place in Berlin. Experts from the building sector, politics, finance and photovoltaics have discussed the implementation of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). The German event was organized by the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB), together with SETA Network, London, and in collaboration with the BIPV group of the European Technology & Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV).
“Highly attractive lighthouse projects demonstrate the feasibility of BIPV solutions, but implementation on a massive scale is still too slow”, states Prof. Rutger Schlatmann, one of the organizers of the conference and Director of HZB-Institute PVcomB. Buildings, facades, and streets offer large surfaces that can be used to produce climate-friendly energy through photovoltaics. At the same time, buildings can also house various kinds of storage media for renewable energy or charging stations for vehicles and thus help stabilize the power grid, as explained by Dr. Silke Krawietz in the context of the smart city approach. Among the barriers for massive implementation of BIPV are low oil and gas prices, real estate speculation but most importantly slow adaption of legislation, mentioned by Claude Turmes, member of the European Parliament and President of the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (Eufores). According to the European Commission 2016 report “Germany fails to comply with EU legislation on Near Zero Emission Buildings”, Turmes warned and stressed the necessity to mitigate climate change.
Dr. Silke Krawietz, CEO, SETA Network, underlines during the panel discussion: “There is a lack of business models connecting energy efficiency and renewable energy. The access to finance is very important.” Dr. Christine Lemaitre, CEO, German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB): ” We need quality buildings on a much broader scale. Lighthouse examples will not save the world, BIPV, energy efficiency and sustainable building solutions must be made mainstream.” As representative from the European Commission Mr. Agustin Escardino Malva, Deputy Head of Unit, New and Renewable Energy Sources, DG Research & Innovation, participated at the event and described during the 2nd day Workshop various financial mechanisms of the European Commission.
Within the context of energy efficiency in buildings and cities for new and existing building stock, the development of innovative design concepts and market approaches are essential for the future development of the BIPV market and the development of related national value chains. Key issue is the collaboration among the various stakeholders of the building design and construction process, such as architects, research institutes, building material industries, developers, building owners of private and commercial buildings and specialized PV/BIPV industry.
The BIPV workshop organized in Berlin was the second of a series of European workshops and conferences in the field of Energy Efficiency in buildings and cities with a focus on Innovation in Solar Building Skins, also known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). This BIPV initiative of the European Technology & Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics is as well related to areas such as smart grid, storage of renewable energies in buildings and cities and e-mobility.
Dr. Silke Krawietz:” We are talking to partners in Spain, France and the Netherlands to continue the series of BIPV workshops in these countries.” The national workshops aim at identifying the specific needs and opportunities of the respective national market structures in connection with the requirements for Positive Energy Buildings.
The European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) is a continuation of the European PV Technology Platform (EU PVTP) and the Solar European Industry Initiative (SEII) in a single platform under the new SET Plan governance. The ETIP PV’s mission is in line with the Energy Union and the SET Plan priorities with focus on “Renewable technologies at the heart of the new energy system” and Europe to become “number 1 in renewables”. ETIP PV gathers all the relevant stakeholders of the PV sector, with arrangements for cooperative discussions with member states (MS), associated countries (AC), and the Commission services. Its main role is to provide consensus-based strategic advice on all issues relevant to progressing research and innovation (R&I) efforts.
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