From Energy Consumer to Energy Producer: BIPV Technology Ushers in the 2.0 Era of Building Revolution

The 2025 Government Work Report mentions adapting to the people's need for high-quality housing, improving standards and specifications, and promoting the construction of safe, comfortable, green, and smart "good houses." This is the first time "good houses" have appeared in the Government Work Report of the National People's Congress.

Promoting the green attributes of "good houses" requires the innovative application of renewable energy technologies, such as Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). As a typical practice of the integration of green buildings and clean energy, BIPV is providing new impetus for the green upgrading of the building industry through "multi-wheel drive" of policy guidance, technological innovation, and market synergy.

Enabling Buildings to Achieve Energy Self-Sufficiency

"Good houses," characterized by safety, low carbon, greenness, and intelligence, are becoming the core proposition leading the green upgrading of the building industry. It is understood that at present, the energy consumption of the entire building process in China accounts for 45% of the national total energy consumption, and the carbon emissions account for 50.6% of the national total emissions. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly pointed out that it is necessary to promote the clean, low-carbon, and efficient use of energy and to promote the clean and low-carbon transformation of industries such as industry, construction, and transportation.

BIPV transforms buildings from "energy consumers" to "energy producers" by deeply integrating photovoltaic components with building materials. As a new technology that combines solar power generation with buildings, BIPV enables buildings to achieve energy self-sufficiency while also being aesthetically pleasing. It is a key means of achieving zero-carbon building goals and promoting the development of green buildings.

BIPV Market Potential Severely Underestimated

In recent years, the state has successively issued a series of documents, including the "14th Five-Year Plan" for Building Energy Efficiency and Green Building Development, the Action Plan to Accelerate Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction in the Construction Sector, and Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of New Building Industrialization, which have clarified the goals and paths for the development of BIPV during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period and beyond. BIPV is highly regarded by the industry.

However, in actual development, BIPV still faces prominent problems such as low application rate and insufficient public awareness. According to statistics, China renovates and builds more than 1.2 billion square meters of roofs every year, with an installable capacity of 240 million kilowatts for BIPV. There are also a large number of building facades that can be transformed into power-generating walls, but the current market potential is severely underestimated.

In addition, BIPV can be applied to multiple fields such as construction, electricity, materials, and fire protection, lacking top-level coordination, and the standard system is fragmented. Key technical standards such as BIPV budget standards, BIPV design standards, BIPV acceptance standards, fire performance, structural safety, and electrical safety are lacking, as is a national standard system.

Multi-Party Collaboration to Promote BIPV Development

The promotion of BIPV technology is not only an innovation of the traditional building energy model but also a strategic choice to promote green and low-carbon transformation. During the National People's Congress, many representatives offered suggestions for the development of BIPV. In the future, various forms of BIPV publicity and promotion activities can be carried out through policy guidance, demonstration projects, media publicity, and industry education to increase social awareness and enable BIPV to move from "technology demonstration" to "large-scale application."

Secondly, it is suggested that relevant departments assess the potential of existing building renovations and new buildings in China, combine the advantages of the photovoltaic industry, and set a BIPV development target of 20 million kilowatts per year during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period (considering 10% of the development potential). Finally, establish a national cross-departmental standard coordination mechanism, guide policies with the "simultaneous design, simultaneous construction, simultaneous acceptance" approach, systematically improve the BIPV standard system at the national level, and promote the deep integration of photovoltaics and buildings. At the same time, strengthen international cooperation, promote "standard going global", and create international competitiveness for China's BIPV industry.

The large-scale application of BIPV is not only a technological issue but also a revolution in concepts. When every inch of building skin can "capture sunlight," zero-carbon buildings unleash unlimited potential, and "good houses" will no longer remain a vision but become a vivid footnote to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

Source: Yuanyi Energy