From "Energy-consuming Building" to "Energy-producing Unit": How Does BIPV Reshape Building Value?

We habitually think:
Building = Energy Consumer.
Air conditioning, lighting, elevators...
An office building can easily spend millions on electricity annually,
making it a "energy consumption giant" in the city grid.

 

But today, BIPV is rewriting this script.
 

Buildings are no longer the "end point" of energy.
 

They are the "starting point."

 

They begin generating, storing, and supplying power,
evolving from a "cost center"
to a "revenue center."

This is not just a technological upgrade,
but a reconstruction of building value.

[Traditional Buildings: Continuous Money-burning "Liabilities"]

A 30-story commercial building:

Annual electricity consumption: about 1.5 million kWh

Electricity cost: about 1.2 million yuan/year (at 0.8 yuan/kWh)

Carbon emissions: about 1,200 tons/year, requiring 12,000 trees to offset

It only consumes and does not produce, a typical "energy liability."

With policies like carbon tax and mandatory green electricity quotas advancing,
this "liability" will only grow heavier.

[BIPV Buildings: Profitable "Green Assets"]

The same building,
if equipped with a BIPV system—

✅ Power generation revenue:
Facade + rooftop installed capacity of 800 kWp, annual generation of 600,000 kWh,
40,0000 kWh self-used (saving 320,000 yuan in electricity costs),
200,000 kWh surplus fed into the grid (income of 160,000 yuan),
annual direct revenue: 480,000 yuan.

✅ Carbon asset revenue:
Annual reduction of 480 tons of CO ₂, generating 480 green certificates,
at the current average price of 150 yuan each,
annual carbon revenue: 72,000 yuan.

✅ Building premium:
Obtaining green building certification increases asset valuation by 5%,
equivalent to millions in added value.

Summary:
A BIPV building,
has an annual comprehensive income exceeding 550,000 yuan,
recouping incremental investment in 6-8 years,
and generating "green cash flow" for the following 20 years.

[Case Studies: From "Electricity Consumption" to "Revenue Generation"]

Qingdao Teld Building

Annual generation 630 kWp, daily generation 1,500 kWh

Meets 30% of electricity demand, saving about 300,000 yuan annually

Also serves as a "zero-carbon landmark," enhancing brand value.

Ningbo Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaic Village

200 households installed BIPV rooftops

Each household generates 5,000 kWh annually, earning an additional 6,000-10,000 yuan

Villagers transformed from "electricity consumers" to "electricity producers."

Shenzhen Shekou Building

The nation's first near-zero energy retrofit project

Comprehensive energy saving rate of 75%, saving over 800,000 yuan annually

Becoming a model for urban renewal.

[Future: Every Building Should Be a "Micro Power Station"]

As BIPV becomes widespread,
the city grid will shift from "centralized power supply"
to a "distributed energy network."
Every building
will be a green energy node.

We will no longer ask:
"How much electricity does this building consume?"
Instead, we will ask:
"How much electricity can this building generate? How much money can it make?"

The significance of BIPV
is not just energy saving and emission reduction,
but—
turning buildings from "liabilities" into "assets,"
from "energy consumers" into "energy-producing units."

Empowering buildings, making the world better.
We are reshaping the fundamental value of cities.

If your building can generate electricity, how much would you want it to save you annually on electricity costs?