Oxford Photovoltaics (OPV), a spin-out from Oxford University, has secured an investment of £2 million (US$3.1 million) from MTI Partners in its latest round of funding. 

Dyesol Inc., a subsidiary of Dyesol Ltd. and shareholder in Dye Tec Solar, has developed prototype Dye Sensitized Solar (DCS) panels to be used in BIPV applications that exceed 120cm x 60cm in size. This makes them the largest single-circuit DSC panel currently manufactured.

Pythagoras Solar announced today that it will be participating in the first Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) Building Technology Showcase. Said showcase, the first of its kind and designed to demonstrate sustainable building technologies, is located in a research and demonstration site located in a building in Boston’s Innovation District. Pythagoras is among the partners contributing a total of US$2.7 million to building energy technologies and services to the new “living laboratory.”

Belgium bitumen-based roofing membranes manufacturer Derbigum is to lead a pioneering building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) project named PV-GUM. Over the next three years, a consortium of nine partners will develop new manufacturing technologies and equipment to produce low-cost thin-film PV membranes, which are fully-integrated in the roofing.

Onyx Solar and Butech have developed a new solar photovoltaic, semi-transparent, backlit floor. The two companies presented the new building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) product during the ceramic giant’s annual show.

Products based on the concept of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are beginning to emerge in the marketplace after more than 20 years of R&D and showcase projects.  This emergence is in large part due to the vision and dedication of leading developers such as Applied Solar, Schott, Dyesol, Dow, Saint-Gobain, and Lumeta.  Exciting new products that incorporate PV modules into actual building materials such as curtain walls, windows, and roofing shingles are now available from a variety of participants in the BIPV supply chain. These companies have seen the most advanced BIPV opportunities materialize in Europe with countries such as Belgium, France, Italy, and Switzerland offering lucrative feed-in tariffs for BIPV.  Markets in North America and the Far East have been less prolific to date but are developing quickly.

Recently commercialized building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing tiles from Italy are the first to take advantage of new ionomer-based encapsulant sheets from DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions.

SYSTEM Photonics from Italy calls its new "Roof Collection" BIPV solar tiles an elegant new choice for adding aesthetically appealing, built-in photovoltaic power generation when roofing or reroofing.

When I met with the recently re-branded Renusol, previously Ubbink Solar, at the end of last month it was clear that the solar mounting systems company would be changing more than its name as it began business in 2010. Meeting with two out of the three company CEOs: Michael Kübsch and Wim Coppens, at the Renusol headquarters in KöIn I was offered an insight into exactly what was in store for the company this year.

This report focuses on the identification of the barriers that prevent or discourage the integration of PV in the building sector. At the beginning of the study, a draft document describing Legal & Administrative Barriers, Market Barriers, Technical Barriers and Perception Barriers has been developed by WIP and AIE.