The development of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is unstoppable.

The Asia Technology Innovation Studio has recently been researching flexible photovoltaics. We'd like to share some of our findings. The emergence of high-strength, lightweight components marks a new stage for BIPV technology, one characterized by higher efficiency, greater flexibility, and wider application. Through material innovation, structural optimization, and technological breakthroughs, these components address the multiple pain points of traditional photovoltaic components in building applications, reshaping the way green buildings and energy production are combined. The following is an analysis of this "new era" from four dimensions: technological innovation, application scenarios, economic value, and industry trends.

 

I. Technological Innovation: A Dual Breakthrough in Lightweight and High Strength

1. Material Innovation

High-strength, lightweight components use ultrathin, high-aluminum glass and high-polymer film encapsulating materials to replace traditional glass backplanes. The thickness can be reduced to 2.2mm, and the weight is only 30%-40% of traditional components (e.g., Ruijing Solar's components are more than 60% lighter, weighing only 8.9kg per square meter, while a product from a Jining company used by the Asia Technology Innovation Studio weighs only 2.9kg per square meter, and 4.5kg per square meter including the frame). At the same time, through frameless curved design (e.g., Skyworth Photovoltaic) or flexible tile technology (e.g., Yidao New Energy), the components have impact resistance, crack resistance, and high bending performance (bending radius up to 480mm), adapting to complex building curved structures.

 

2. Performance Improvement

High-efficiency power generation: Renjiang BIPV components have a conversion efficiency of 23%. Combined with self-cleaning surface technology, it reduces the impact of dust accumulation, increasing power generation efficiency by 3%-5%.

Environmental adaptability: IP68 protection level, hail resistance (e.g., GoodWe lightweight components), and salt spray and dust resistance tests (e.g., Skyworth Photovoltaic), and hail experiments (e.g., Zhongke Funeng) ensure stable operation in extreme climates.

The Asian technical team personally visited the hail test of Zhongke Funeng photovoltaic panels. A high-speed injector is used to shoot hail at the photovoltaic panels. According to the requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards IEC 61215 and IEC 61730, photovoltaic components are required to undergo hail tests. Generally, it is required that the photovoltaic panels can withstand hail with a diameter of 25 millimeters impacting at a speed of 23 meters/second without damage. The experiment used a speed of 28 meters/second, ensuring that the photovoltaic panels can withstand hail impact without crystal damage.

Integration of building materials functions: Some products have waterproof and heat insulation functions. For example, the Fuguanghuanjing BIPV system reduces workshop temperature by 5.3℃ and air conditioning energy consumption by 37% through intelligent ventilation interlayers. The layered design of the equipment room roof can reduce roof heat absorption and reduce equipment room heat radiation.

 

 

 

II. Application Scenarios: Comprehensive Coverage from Buildings to Mobile Energy

1. Building Integration Field

- Industrial and commercial rooftops: Lightweight components do not require reinforcement of color-coated steel roofs (e.g., Yidao New Energy DAS-LOCP components are only 4.4kg/㎡), and the installation cycle is shortened by 60% (e.g., the zero-carbon park project completed 2MW system construction in only 60 days).

 

Building facades and curtain walls: Colorful lightweight components can replace traditional wall materials. For example, Skyworth Photovoltaic's color-coated bracket patent technology achieves millimeter-level bonding, combining aesthetics and power generation functions. Zhongke Funeng Photovoltaic has been used in large buildings in many countries.

 

Residential houses: Villa BIPV solutions use hole-free installation technology to avoid water leakage and extend the roof life to more than 30 years.

 

2. Special Scene Expansion

Lightweight components can be used in mobile homes, RVs, highway slopes, and even portable devices (such as photovoltaic backpacks). Their flexibility and low load requirements break the space limitations of traditional components.

 

 

III. Economic Value: Dual-Driven Cost Reduction and Revenue Increase

1. Comprehensive Cost Advantages

Although the unit price of lightweight components is 20%-30% higher than traditional components, eliminating structural reinforcement costs (reducing costs by more than 700 yuan per square meter), installation labor, and maintenance costs (e.g., self-cleaning reduces cleaning frequency), the comprehensive cost is close to or even lower than traditional solutions. For example, the Qingdao Institute of Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, estimates that its technology system can reduce the cost of BIPV construction to 150 million yuan in economic benefits.

2. Long-term Revenue Increase

Power generation gains: Nano-enhanced anti-reflection coating technology (96.8% light transmittance) and intelligent ventilation design (e.g., Fuguanghuanjing project power generation increased by 8.4%).

Carbon emission reduction benefits: Taking the zero-carbon park as an example, annual carbon reduction is 1840 tons, saving electricity costs of 1.21 million yuan, combining environmental and economic benefits.

 

IV. Industry Trends: Policy Driven and Market Expansion

1. Policy Support

China's "dual carbon" goals and local subsidy policies (such as Beijing and Nanjing's BIPV special subsidies) are accelerating market penetration. It is expected that by 2030, the potential market size of BIPV in China will reach 1.3 trillion yuan, and lightweight components are expected to occupy half of the market due to their adaptability.

 

2. Standardization and Industrialization of Technology

The Asia Technology Innovation Studio conducts research on the standards for the use of communication equipment room facades and rooftop photovoltaics. The photovoltaic building material standardization production system promoted by the Qingdao Institute of Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Skyworth Photovoltaic's aerospace-level intelligent manufacturing process mark the industry's transition from "customization" to "scale", further reducing marginal costs.

 

 

Summary: Core Characteristics of the New Era

The Asia Technology Research believes that high-strength, lightweight components, through "lightweight building materialization" and "functional integration," solve the core problems of traditional photovoltaics in building applications, such as load-bearing limitations, aesthetic conflicts, and complex installation. At the same time, it promotes BIPV from "add-on power generation equipment" to "building body functional components." As technology maturity improves and policy dividends are released, this technology will not only restructure building energy systems but may also become a core support for global zero-carbon city construction. In the future, building-integrated photovoltaics will become a trend, even a standard, and zero-carbon will soon become a reality.