Photovoltaic building materials

Journal Article · · Solar Today; (United States)

OSTI ID:6695255

Paradis, A ^[1]; Shugar, D S

---

1. Advanced Photovoltaic Systems, Inc., Princeton, NJ (United States)

The solar industry has long envisioned the integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels into building design as an elegant way to deliver electrical energy to buildings. PV panels, unlike the more common solar thermal panels which heat water, directly produce electricity from sunlight and are the only technology which produces electrical energy without fuel or moving parts. The appeal of integrating PV into building materials is that the structure itself becomes an energy producer, providing some or all of the building's electrical energy requirements. The cost of the PV panels is at least partially offset by the savings realized from not purchasing the building materials that the PV replaces. When PV power generation is combined with high performance building products and conservation strategies, fully sustainable building energy designs become possible. A fundamental obstacle to the direct use of PV as a building product has been that most module design philosophy has focused exclusively on PV as a power generation source, rather than as a building material capable of generating power. This has resulted in PV modules that adequately serve energy production needs for remote power and grid-connected systems, but are clumsy for use as building components. What is needed are PV products designed to serve as both building materials and power generation sources.

• OSTI ID: 6695255
• Journal Information: Solar Today; (United States), Journal Name: Solar Today; (United States) Vol. 8:3; ISSN 1042-0630; ISSN SOTOEV
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140600* -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
BUILDING MATERIALS
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
MATERIALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS