EPIA partner with DBS for BIPV conference at Solar Decathlon Europe 2010

Solar Decathlon entry: http://www.sdeurope.org

The European Photovoltaics Industry Association (EPIA), supported by Design-BuildSolar, will hold a one-day conference in the framework of the Sustainability Forum on Building Integrated Photovolatics (BIPV) during the International Solar Decathlon 2010, on June 23 in Madrid, Spain.

The Solar Decathlon, which is taking place between June 18-27,is aprestigiouscompetition held between university teams from around the world. The teams are tasked with designing and building energetically self-sufficient houses operating solar on solar power. The final phase of the competition will take place under the umbrella of the EU Spanish Presidency in Madrid, during the last two weeks of June.

A Solar Village will be built in the most historic and accessible area of the Manzanares river and next to the Royal Palace. While the competition in its final phase, a series of simultaneous activities will be held, including the Sustainability Forum. Participants of the EPIA conference will have access to the Solar Village to see houses in display and competition.

The EPIA conference will provide a platform for discussion between the construction and PV sectors, as well as with policy-makers. The first part of the conference will focus on the latest BIPV technologies (PV glass facades, PV roof-tiles, flexible PV membranes, etc.), current and future market trends of the BIPV sector, analysing challenges and opportunities. PV industry, architects, installers and other relevant actors will provide their expertise and views.

In a second session, the economic and regulatory aspects of BIPV will be analysed and discussed in detail. A panel discussion with representatives of the major EU PV markets will focus on best practices and lessons learnt of implementing policies for the development of BIPV in their country. Those will include the implementation of feed-in tariffs as well as the recently approved European Directive on Energy Performance in Buildings. Recommendations will then be drawn to Spanish policy-makers on how to better promote the use of PV in buildings while ensuring high quality, environmental sustainability and adhere to design standards.

The Solar Decathlon, held every second year, attracts experts from the building and energy sectors and reaches out to a different range of audiences with the objective to raise awareness and encourage the use of solar technologies in buildings and homes. Participation to this event is free of charge.

For more information about Solar Decathlon 2010, please visit: www.sdeurope.org.