Overall objective
The objective of Task 7 was to enhance the architectural quality, the technical quality and the economic viability of PV systems in the built environment. The objective is also to assess and remove non-technical barriers for their introduction as an energy-significant option. It is expected that successful integration of PV systems into the built environment (BIPV) will contribute significantly to the future spread of PV.
For this, active involvement of urban planners, architects and building engineers is required. Task 7 motivates the collaboration between these groups and PV system specialists, utility specialists, PV and
building industry and other professionals involved in photovoltaics.
Task 7 considers all grid connected systems other than classified as "ground based arrays". Primary focus of this Task is on the integration of PV into the architectural design of roofs and facades of residential, commercial and industrial buildings and other structures
in the built environment (such as noise barriers, parking areas and
railway canopies), and on other market factors, both technical and
non-technical, that need to be addressed and resolved before wide
spread adoption of PV in the built environment will occur.
Task 7 officially started on January 1, 1997 and finished end 2001. In 2002 the last reports and deliverables were published. At the end of 2002 there remains only one outstanding issue: the publication of the book "Designing with Solar Power". This book is expected in spring 2003.
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Subtask 1: Architectural design of photovoltaic power systems in the built environment
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Subtask 2: Systems technologies for photovoltaic power systems in the built environment
- Objectives
Participants worked on the development of new concepts for Photovoltaic Power Systems in the built environment that can
enhance the electrical performance or the performance of
the PV system as a building component. New concepts, developed by the Participants shall enhance market opportunities for the industry.
This Subtask aims for a number of standardized and certified
PV elements for integration in buildings and other structures in the built environment. The Subtask will also provide a number of options to effectively utilize PV electricity and to connect PV systems safely and reliably to the electricity grid, as far as this topic is not addressed by Task 5 of the PVPS Implementing Agreement.
- Activities
- Commercial buildings
- Residential buildings
- Non-building structures
- Guidelines and certification
- PV/T (PV and thermal systems)
- New electrical concepts
- Reliability
- Interconnection issues
- Electrical design issues
- Conclusive results for 2002
- Database of over 100 PV products: www.pvdatabase.com (act. 2.1/2.2)
- Workshop BIPV Integration Concepts, 11/12 February 1999, Switzerland, Lausanne (act. 2.1/2.2)
- Workshop on PV Design, 9 May 2001, The Netherlands, Amsterdam Sustain 2001 (act. 2.1/2.2)
- IEA Joint Working Group on new PV/T system technology (act. 2.5)
- Photovoltaic Building Integration Concepts; Product Review & Proceedings of IEA
PVPS Task 7 Workshop (act. 2.1/2.2)
- PV in Non Building Structures - design issues (act. 2.3)
- PV/T report, inventory & road map (act. 2.5)
- New electric concepts (act. 2.6)
- Reliability (act. 2.7)
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Subtask 3: Non-technical barriers in the introduction of photovoltaic power systems in the built environment
- Objectives
Participants assessed the non-technical barriers to be removed to make PV in the built environment an energy-significant power supply option. The purpose of this Subtask was to identify the barriers on one side and the (technical, economic, market) potential of PV in the built environment on the other. The main result of this Subtask will be an executive IEA report on strategies for barrier removal and utilization of the PV potential.
- Activities
- Barrier assessment
- Potential
- Economics
- Strategies
- Conclusive Results for 2002
- Literature survey and analysis of non-technical problems for the introduction of building integrated photovoltaic systems (act. 3.1)
- Potential for building integrated photovoltaics (act. 3.2)
- Guidelines for Economic Evaluation of building integrated PV power systems (act. 3.3)
- Market Deployment Strategies for PV systems in the built environment (act. 3.4)
- Institutional Issues: Non technical barriers to the commercialization of PV power systems in the built environment (task 3)
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Subtask 4: Demonstration and dissemination of photovoltaic power systems in the built environment
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Deliverables - Where to get them?
All reports are available for download from the publications' section of this website. In addition, all reports and many other deliverables are summarized on the CD-Rom Task 7, Project Results and Documents, which can be ordered from (Euro 5):
Furthermore, each of the Task 7 reports can be ordered from the organization mentioned
with the respective publications in the publications'
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Task 7 participants
In total, 14 countries participated in Task 7, with representatives from all targeted
groups: architects, building and PV industry, PV and building specialists and
utilities. A list of participants is shown in the table on the following page.
Current participants and experts supporting them are listed in Task
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Meeting schedule 2002
- Workshop at the PV in Europe Conference, 7 October 2002, Rome, Italy
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![Fig. 1 - Over 500 architects and students were present on the Italian Solar Electricity and Urban Planning Conference. This was an excellent opportunity to disseminate Task 7 results. [photo Michiel van Schalkwijk]](images/task7_01.jpg)