Sep 22 2010
Pike Research, a market research and consulting company offering exhaustive investigative reports on worldwide clean energy markets, has produced a report on Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). In its report the company has dispelled some of the myths about the cost of the solar modules, their installation over the roofs and walls of the building, windows and other structural parts of the building and the aesthetic value of the installations.
The report predicts a change in the outlook of BIPV usage from the beginning of the year 2010. It adds that the total installation of BIPV will attain a ten fold increase to reach 2.4 GW power production in the year 2016 in comparison with 215 MW in the year 2009 and predicts an annual revenue generation of $4 billion by the year 2016. The report on BIPV offers a broad study on technology issues involved, forces that control the market, market economics and the important companies involved in the change. The report also offers estimates on low and topside market scenario for the installed capacity of BIPV modules world over, technology involved in such installations and predicts a growth in the market revenue till the year 2016.
According to Dave Cavanaugh, Senior Analyst of the company, the fast falling cost per watt will determine the growth of BIPV use in the next few years. He added that simpler rooftop installations utilizing shingles and CIGS technology panels will drive the growth of the market. He confirms the introduction of crystalline silicon solar modules and thin film solar tiles and shingles that easily mingle with the construction of façades, rooftops and atria provide the required esthetic appeal for the BIPV installations thus increasing their penetration in the market. He further said that the recently introduced feed-in-tariffs for BIPV products in countries such as UK, Canada, France, Japan and Italy coupled with the aspiration of the users to use clean energy is expected to increase the growth during the coming years.