Solar Buildings

Buildings in the EU are responsible for about 40% of the energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires all newly built buildings to be nearly zero-energy by the end of 2020. However, new buildings will only make up a fraction of the existing buildings in 2050. For the EU to reach climate neutrality by mid-century, the upcoming Renovation Wave must use all available options to decarbonise all new and existing buildings in the EU.

Solar can be deployed easily deployed on building roofs with standard solar panels. Solar can also be installed throughout building façades thanks to the integration of PV cells into construction products, commonly known as Building Integrated Photovoltaics (“BIPV”). Thanks to BIPV, solar can be seamlessly integrated into a building on its windows, roof tiles, and façade cladding. Europe is a world leader in BIPV, with more than 200 products currently available on the market.

On-site solar has a huge potential to decarbonise our buildings. This potential should be harnessed. Only by deploying solar on all suitable rooftops, the EU could meet about 25% of its electricity consumption with clean energy. However, today only 10% of the EU’s rooftop potential is used and BIPV represents only about 3% of all the solar installed capacity in the EU.

Through the Solar Buildings Workstream, SolarPower Europe is advocating for the massive use of solar as a cost-effective, technologically proven solution to decarbonise buildings.  Among others, we are developing the answers to the following questions:

  • How can solar best contribute to decarbonise the EU’s buildings?
  • How can we boost the deployment of on-site solar at EU, national, and local levels?
  • What should a European Solar Rooftop Programme look like?
  • What should be done to reinforce the EU’s industrial leadership on BIPV?

Join SolarPower Europe’s Solar Buildings Workstream 

SolarPower Europe works to promote the development of on-site solar technologies, advocating for an ambitious strategy for the decarbonisation of the building stock through the deployment of solar while pushing the interests of the European rooftop solar and BIPV industry. 

If you are interested in joining this Workstream , contact Miguel Herrero Cangas

Objectives:

  • Launch a European Solar Rooftop Programme as part of the upcoming Renovation Wave initiative
  • Establish direct contact with European institutions to highlight current significant gaps and the need for strengthened incentives for on-site solar
  • Focus on industry and market development needs, taking an integrated approach over value chain, voice/expertise of the industry
  • Raising visibility and awareness about the potential of on-site solar to help the decarbonization goals and renewable energy targets
  • Establish partnerships with cities, architects the construction and building sectors as well as other interested stakeholders.

Key activities and deliverables:

  • Influence concrete European legislation to facilitate the integration of BIPV systems, targeting among others:
  • The Renovation Wave Initiative
  • Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
  • Energy Efficiency Directive
  • Renewable Energy Directive
  • Ecodesign and energy labelling
  • Construction Products Regulation
  • The organisation of webinars and workshops
  • Producing reports

“BIPV in Europe is today at a turning point. The market is ready, and actually in need of new PV solutions for cities and the technology is mature. Europe has the opportunity to become the uncontested leader of BIPV worldwide as European players have today the best products on the market.”

Alexandra Sombsthay

VP European & International Public Affairs at Akuo Energy and Chair of SolarPower Europe’s BIPV Workstream

Beautiful building-integrated solar across Europe:

Photos: Brynseng School in Oslo, Norway (©NCC), Copenhagen International School (© CF Møller)

'Solar Skins: An opportunity for greener cities'

This report from SolarPower Europe’s BIPV Workstream demonstrates how local authorities can benefit from BIPV technologies to decarbonise their building stock and how an increased uptake of BIPV could propel a promising European-based industry, delivering local and highly skilled jobs in the energy and construction sector.
Download the report
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Webinar: Building Integrated Photovoltaics solar construction products for building renovations

Resources
Reports

Global Market Outlook 2020-2024

SolarPower Europe’s annual award-winning Global Market Outlook for Solar Power is the most authoritative market analysis report for the global solar power sector. With comprehensive historical market

15/06/2020

Downloads

Buildings generating renewable power

SolarPower Europe BIPV Workstream presentation at the European Parliament

WEBINAR: WHAT'S NEXT FOR BIPV IN EUROPE?​

This webinar discusses what’s next for this promising sector, what the regulatory challenges are and how to foster synergies between BIPV companies and key players – architects, construction sector, smart cities.

How Photovoltaics can ride the EU Building Renovation Wave

Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) technologiesare highly innovative, locally anchored and havestrong market prospects, with great potential tobecome a flagship for the EU industry

Links

EU Horizon prize for Integrated Photovoltaic Energy System

Horizon prize for Integrated Photovoltaic Energy System will reward a European protected historic urban district that has perfectly integrated in its buildings a photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity for at least 50% of its required electricity consumption

Solar Powering Buildings: A New Age of Energy Producing Homes

The European Commission's “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package gives an important focus on buildings. Smart building management and on-site renewable generation are two sides of the same smart coin, enabling the EU to take a major step towards a smart energy transition for urban residents, as well as commercial buildings.

A high-resolution geospatial assessment of the rooftop solar photovoltaic potential in the European Union

Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can make a significant contribution to Europe’s energy transition. Realising this potential raises challenges at policy and electricity system planning level. To address this, the authors have developed a geospatially explicit methodology using up-to-date spatial information of the EU building stock to quantify the available rooftop area for PV systems.

BIPV can unlock new opportunities for European Green Deal

In order to highlight the significant benefits that Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) present, SolarPower Europe has published a new BIPV Declaration, which details how the EU can lead the world in this innovative solar technology. BIPV refers to versatile solar construction products, such as solar roof tiles, façade cladding, and windows, which all enable the seamless deployment of renewable energy generation throughout buildings.

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