Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV): How Guizhou is taking off with policy support

 

Recently, the Guiyang Municipal People's Government Office issued a notice on the implementation plan for cultivating and developing new high-quality productivity and promoting high-quality industrial development in Guiyang, exploring pilot demonstrations of residential building-integrated photovoltaics.

 

As early as 2011, starting with Guizhou's first BIPV project, a 56kWp solar building-integrated grid-connected photovoltaic power generation system was built in the High-tech Development Zone of Jinyang New District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province.

 

As Guizhou's first building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) project,It had a total investment of 2 million yuan, an average annual power generation of nearly 40,000 kWh, and a total power generation of 986,000 kWh over 25 years.Although the scale and technical level of this project are not outstanding by today's standards, it marks Guiyang's early exploration in the application of new energy—Integrating photovoltaic components with building structures, generating electricity and serving as building materials.

 

More than ten years later, Guiyang once again proposed "exploring pilot demonstrations of residential building-integrated photovoltaics." Behind this policy is not only the driving force of technological iteration, but also a profound transformation concerning green productivity.

 

 

 

1

BIPV's disruptive advantages

 

The core of BIPV lies in integration. It makes photovoltaic components no longer an accessory to buildings,but an integral part of the building itself.This combination has considerable advantages.

 

Environmental protection and energy saving complement each other:Although the annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from Guiyang's first BIPV project has not been clearly calculated, similar-scale systems can usually reduce tens of tons of carbon emissions.

Today, with technological upgrades, such as the zero-carbon substation project in Guangzhou, BIPV can achievezero carbon emissions throughout the building's life cycleand even use energy storage systems to shave peaks and fill valleys for the power grid.  

 

Long-term economic benefits:Guiyang's early projects had an annual power generation income of about 16,000 yuan, while current BIPV systemshave significantly improved their economic efficiency through the "self-generation and self-use + surplus electricity to the grid" model, combined with peak-valley electricity price differences and energy storage technology.

For example, a public institution rooftop photovoltaic project in Hangzhou has an annual power generation of 1.28 million kWh, saving 460 tons of standard coal, directly reducing electricity costs and generating income.  

 

Architectural aesthetics trend:Guiyang's recently proposed principle of coordinating aesthetics echoes the design trend of BIPV.

For example, the LIGHT series components developed by a certain company can be customized to imitate the appearance of stone and metal, making the photovoltaic curtain wall both functional and decorative, breaking the stereotype of traditional photovoltaic panels being "obtrusive."

 

 

2

Breakthrough point under policy support

 

Guiyang's 2025 new policy clearly proposes "making full use of rooftop resources to develop distributed photovoltaics" and exploring residential BIPV pilot projects.

 

This direction resonates with policies in many parts of the country (such as Lu'an, Anhui)—Lu'an City requires that by 2025, the proportion of photovoltaic applications in newly built industrial plants and public buildings will reach 50%.

From the perspective of market potential, Guiyang's opportunities lie in:  

 

Large-scale application in park economies:Industrial plants and public buildings have large rooftop areas and stable electricity demand, and BIPV can significantly reduce enterprise energy costs. For example, after the photovoltaic workshop in Hongqi Town, Jinwan District, is put into production, it is expected to increase annual output value by 500 million yuan, becoming a new growth point for the regional economy.  

 

Urban green transformation:In the renovation of old residential areas and the construction of new rural areas in Guiyang, BIPV can replace traditional building materials and reduce building energy consumption. Guangzhou's zero-carbon substation uses prefabricated assembly technology to shorten the construction period by 68% and reduce dust emissions to zero, providing a low-carbon model for urban renewal.

 

Potential blue ocean in the residential market:If Guiyang's residential BIPV pilot project is successful, it will leverage the huge civilian market. Hangzhou's public institution rooftop project has verified the technical feasibility, and if Guiyang can reduce the installation threshold for residents through subsidies or financial innovation, it may usher in a new model of household power generation.

 

 

3

Obstacles and challenges

Despite the broad prospects, the promotion of BIPV in Guiyang still faces multiple obstacles:

Lack of technology cost and standards:The early project investment was as high as 35,000 yuan/kW (such as the Guiyang 2011 project). Although the current cost has decreased, it is still 10%-20% higher than traditional distributed photovoltaics. In addition, BIPV involves the deep integration of building and photovoltaic design, and there are no unified technical standards and acceptance standards in Guiyang or even the whole country, resulting in long project implementation cycles and high risks.  

 

Interest coordination issues:In the residential field, issues such as ownership, profit distribution, and maintenance responsibilities may lead to disputes. For example, if the rooftop photovoltaics are built uniformly by the property management, how can the interests of owners, developers, and power grid companies be balanced? Guiyang needs to learn from Guangzhou's "intelligent maintenance + data monitoring" model and use technical means to clarify responsibilities.  

 

Insufficient market awareness:Many building owners still regard BIPV as "high-end technology" and lack confidence in its long-term returns. Guiyang needs to strengthen the publicity of demonstration projects, such as demonstrating data such as "25-year power generation guarantee" and "building material life synchronization," and reduce the initial investment pressure through financial tools (such as green credit).

 

 

4

Future outlook

 

Technological iteration drives cost reduction:New technologies such as cadmium telluride thin films and lightweight components can further reduce material and installation costs. For example, the Guangzhou project uses cadmium telluride photovoltaic glass curtain walls, which improves conversion efficiency while achieving seamless integration with the building's appearance.  

 

Policy synergy amplifies scale effects:Guiyang can learn from Lu'an's experience, incorporating BIPV into mandatory regulations for land transfer and building acceptance, and exploring "photovoltaic +" applications in multiple scenarios.

 

Ecosystem Construction Activates the Market:Attracting design institutes, building material suppliers, and photovoltaic companies to form an industrial alliance, providing"design-construction-operation and maintenance" one-stop serviceThe case of Far East Photovoltaic's cooperation with the government to quickly complete power capacity expansion shows that government-enterprise collaboration is the key to breaking through bottlenecks.

 

 

5

Conclusion

From the first pilot program in 2011 to the full-scale promotion in 2025, Guiyang's BIPV journey is both a microcosm of green transformation and a symbol of the rise of new productivity.

 

When photovoltaics and buildings truly achieve two-way empowerment, rooftops will no longer be just barriers against wind and rain, but also sources of green energy for the city.

 

This transformation may not happen overnight, but as Guiyang's exploration over the past ten years has shown,Each photovoltaic panel is a cornerstone on the path to a zero-carbon future.