materials and labor that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the BIPV modules replace. Conventional solar panels are typically mount-
ed at a fi xed-tilt angle, representing a trade-off between summer and winter production. Adjacent rows of tilted panels must be spaced to avoid shad- ing. This spacing reduces the amount of power on the roof. Inadequate spacing can result in signifi - cant power losses. Flexible BIPV systems enable simpler, more versatile and higher power density solutions for limited areas rooftop installations. This results in higher net energy production per rooftop. Industry analyst fi rm NanoMarkets recently
published its latest BIPV projections in a report titled, “Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Markets:
2012.” NanoMarkets estimates that the entire BIPV market already generates around $2.1 billion today and that this fi gure will grow to $7.5 billion by 2015. The report claims much of this growth will come at the expense of conventional solar panels as BIPV’s economics and aesthetics make their impact on end users. NanoMarkets also expects new builds to contribute 63 percent of all BIPV revenues in 2015.
Indoor light energy Wouldn’t it be nice (and much more effi cient) if a PV system could produce energy from indoor low- light sources in addition to the sun? SolarPrint Ltd., a company in Dublin, Ireland, thinks it can. It claims it has found a way to convert any light source into
energy, similar to the way a plant converts light to energy using photosynthesis. The company devel- ops Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells (DSSC), a third- generation printable solar cell technology to inte- grate with wireless sensors for energy-harvesting purposes in buildings. DSSCs are electrochemical devices comprised of a light-absorbing molecule anchored onto semiconducting titanium dioxide nanoparticulates. DSSCs consist of nontoxic and abundant materials. DSSC-based wireless energy management
systems provide signifi cant cost savings by elimi- nating wired networks. The indoor light spectrum is very different from the outdoor spectrum. DSSC performs in low and diffuse light because it has a spectral response that completely overlaps and
Advanced photovoltaic systems will enable new building designs and confi gurations. (Photo courtesy of Agustin Otegui)
www.metalconstructionnews.com January 2013 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS 17
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