Why are more and more buildings starting to "wear" power-generating exteriors?

Have you noticed?
In recent years, more and more office buildings, commercial centers, and industrial parks,
their building facades are no longer just glass curtain walls or aluminum panels,
but "smart skins" emitting a faint blue glow.
They absorb sunlight during the day and release electricity at night,
turning the entire building from an "energy consumer" into a "micro power station." This is not a future concept,
but a paradigm shift in building energy that is happening now. BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) is moving from demonstration projects to large-scale applications!

Image source: Mingyang Thin Film Technology

[From "Patching" to "Growing"]

Early applications of building photovoltaics mostly involved installing crystalline silicon modules on roofs or walls, like "patching" the building. This not only damaged the building's integrity but also posed waterproofing and structural risks, making maintenance difficult later on.

The essence of BIPV is to let photovoltaics "grow out" — integrating power generation functions directly into building components:

✅ Curtain wall = Power generation unit
✅ Skylight = Energy matrix
This "integrated design" concept makes photovoltaics no longer an "add-on" but a default part of the building.

[Three Major Driving Factors of the "Power-Generating Exterior"]

1. Aesthetic Integration: Making photovoltaics "invisible"

Architects' core demand is "design integrity."
Modern BIPV materials achieve aesthetic breakthroughs through the following:

✅ Adjustable light transmittance (10%-90%) to meet lighting and privacy needs;

✅ Customizable colors (blue-gray, dark gray, bronze, etc.) to match different architectural styles;

✅ Customizable shapes and structures;

Case reference ：
The Qingdao Teld New Energy Zero Carbon Building uses blue-gray, 60% light-transmitting cadmium telluride photovoltaic glass applied on three curtain walls. From a distance, it looks like a modern curtain wall; up close, its power generation function is revealed, achieving "invisible power generation."

2. Performance Improvement: Stable power generation even in low light

Urban lighting environments are complex, and traditional crystalline silicon modules see efficiency drop sharply under diffuse light.
Some thin-film technologies (such as cadmium telluride) have wider spectral response, stronger low-light power generation capability, and higher tolerance to shading,
allowing stable output in cloudy, early morning, and building shadow scenarios,
with daily power generation time 2-3 hours longer than crystalline silicon.

3. Economic Model Evolution: From "cost" to "asset"

The economics of BIPV no longer only consider "power generation revenue" but include full lifecycle value: such as electricity savings (self-consumption), green certificates and carbon asset income, asset premiums from green building certifications, policy subsidies, and floor area ratio bonuses.

With the improvement of green power trading mechanisms, BIPV is shifting from an "incremental cost" to a "long-term asset."

[Trend Observation: BIPV Enters "System-Level" Applications]

Going further, BIPV is deeply integrating with building energy systems:

Combined with energy storage to achieve "solar-storage-direct-flexibility"

Linked with charging piles to support V2G (vehicle-to-grid interaction)

Connected to smart microgrids to participate in demand response
 

BIPV is no longer just a power generation unit but the core entry point of building-level energy management systems.

[Conclusion · The Energy Revolution of Buildings]

When every curtain wall and every rooftop can generate power,

the energy structure of cities will be redefined.

The significance of BIPV
is not just energy saving and emission reduction,
but also
 

——
transforming buildings from "energy consumption terminals" into "energy nodes,"
and transforming cities from "centralized power supply" to "distributed energy networks."
 

In the future,
buildings without "power-generating exteriors" might be considered outdated.
或许才会显得落伍