“It Would Be a Shame if We Did Not Take Advantage of the Spirit of the Times ...”An Analysis of Prospects and Barriers of Building Integrated Photovoltaics

Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaics, a special form of photovoltaics, is still a niche market with a relatively low number of installations worldwide. Although it is considered a promising technology, especially in Europe where land for large-scale photovoltaic plants is rare, several factors continue to constrain its widespread adoption. This paper investigates the prospects for, and barriers to, building integrated photovoltaics adoption in the European context, building on a series of interviews with experts in the field. The results indicate that the main problems relate to cost calcu lations, to the existing gap between the photovoltaic and the building industry, and to the lack of expertise and knowledge concerning the potential of the technology among important stakeholders. However, with the implementation of the new European Building Directive 2010/31/EU that demands “nearly zero-energy buildings” by 2020, building integrated photovoltaics is likely to gain considerable momentum.