Are we on the verge of a building-integrated photovoltaics boom?

There are a variety of indicators pointing to a positive trajectory for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) development.

On July 30^th 2024, the new Labour government set for the United Kingdom a target to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years. These homes would be required to comply with the Future Homes Standard, a UK initiative seeking to ensure new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% fewer carbon emissions.

Beyond UK borders, clean tech building is also a policy priority worldwide. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2023 (COP28), 27 countries (including China, the United States, Germany, France, Sweden and the UK) pledged their commitment to the “Buildings Breakthrough”, an initiative to make near-zero emissions and climate-resilient buildings the new normal by 2030.

Against this propitious policy backdrop, clean tech investment is skyrocketing. According to a report released in June 2024 by the International Energy Agency (IEA), an autonomous body within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), global energy investment is projected to exceed 3 trillion USD in 2024, with 2 trillion USD going to clean energy technologies and infrastructure. It is projected that in 2024 for every dollar invested in fossil fuel development today, almost ten dollars will be invested in clean energy, thanks in part to the acceleration in clean energy investments since 2020. More specifically, investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is set to exceed 500 billion USD in 2024, surpassing all other generation sources combined.

It is thus unsurprising that clean tech patents are seeing a surge. On World Intellectual Property Day in April this year, the EPO revealed a 33% jump in clean tech inventions from 2016 to 2021, with some 55,000 recorded in 2021 alone.

Will this engender a BIPV boom?

BIPV are materials that convert light into electricity by using semiconducting materials that generate voltage and electric current upon exposure to light. Unlike solar panels, which are separate and distinct devices mounted onto roofs and poles, BIPVs integrate directly into building components such as roofs, facades, and windows, serving as both structural elements and energy generators. Benefits include:

• Aesthetic Integration: Designed to blend with architectural styles, BIPV systems provide an aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional solar panels.
• Energy Efficiency: By generating electricity on-site, BIPV systems reduce reliance on external power sources and lower energy bills.
• Sustainability: BIPVs promote the use of renewable energy in urban environments, reducing carbon footprints and supporting sustainable building practices.

Historically, barriers to greater integration of BIPVs have been technical, including low efficiency of PV cell generation, the high upfront costs of investing in and maintaining BIPV systems, and the effects on architectural style.

Yet, success stories of BIPV implementations provide hope that advances in this technology could be a gamechanger in achieving climate goals. For example, a paper published in the journal Buildings (2023) concluded that BIPV systems can significantly contribute to the carbon neutral development process, low carbon green development, and clean energy promotion. Researchers analysed six BIPV application cases in zero-net energy consumption buildings in China, and identified effective incentives and strategic approaches which were applicable not only to China but to Europe and the United States as well.

To enable further BIPV projects, the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) Program published a new handbook in September 2023 that provides guidance and support on theory and methods to analyse the innovation system for BIPVs in different countries. It also offers advice on how to examine historical and technological information whilst conducting a structural analysis of the specific country, as well as reviewing the technical and knowledge solutions in each relevant market. An inaugural IPV conference of industry leaders and specialists is planned for 28 November 2024 in Florence, Italy.

What about BIPV patents?

In light of this, there appears to be an increasing interest in the pursuit of BIPV patents. According to a paper in the International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies (2019), based on an analysis of 4914 patents dated 1972 to 2016 from the Derwent Innovations Index patent database, there are three key technology frontiers in BIPV innovations:

1.   Methods to reduce the cost, weight and improve aesthetics of BIPVs;
2.   Improvements to specific BIPV components; and
3.   Improvements to PV control systems, which are still in the initial stage of development but appear to be gaining greater research attention.

The field of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is poised to play a crucial role in the future of sustainable architecture and urban development. As global policies and investments increasingly prioritize clean energy, the integration of BIPVs into building structures offers a promising avenue for reducing carbon emissions and advancing climate resilience. However, the successful adoption and scaling of BIPV technology will hinge significantly on continued innovation, as highlighted by the surge in clean tech patents.

Patents are a key measure of technological progress and a driver of ongoing innovation in the BIPV sector. The rise in patents not only reflects the growing interest and progress in this field but also ensures that new and improved BIPV technologies are protected and can be commercially developed. By fostering competition and collaboration among innovators, patents are essential in overcoming the existing technical and economic barriers to BIPV adoption. As such, the role of patents will be pivotal in driving the next wave of advancements in BIPV, enabling this technology to reach its full potential and contribute meaningfully to global climate goals.