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Integrated thinking for photovoltaics in buildings

Nature Energy volume 3, pages 438–442 (2018)Cite this article

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Recent developments in photovoltaic technologies enable stimulating architectural integration into building façades and rooftops. Upcoming policies and a better coordination of all stakeholders will transform how we approach building-integrated photovoltaics and should lead to strong deployment.

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Fig. 1: Predicted annual worldwide BIPV commercial market revenue.
Fig. 2: Common PV installations on rooftops.

Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo (a), Shank_ali / E+ / Getty images (b)

Fig. 3: Examples of façade and roof demonstration projects with BIPV in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Thomas Jantscher (a,b), Patrick Heinstein (c,d)

Fig. 4: Best-practice examples of BIPV worldwide.

David Jackson / Alamy Stock Photo (a), TA images / Alamy Stock Photo (b), Patrick Heistein (c,d), Rene Schmid Architeken (e,f)

Fig. 5: Innovative transformative approaches in Switzerland.

CSEM (a), Olivier Wavre, LAST-EPFL (b)

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Acknowledgements

This comment is based in particular on projects supported by the National Research Program NRP 70 ‘Energy Turnaround’ of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Christophe Ballif

  2. CSEM PV-center, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Christophe Ballif & Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi

  3. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST), Lausanne, Switzerland

    Sophie Lufkin & Emmanuel Rey

Authors
  1. Christophe Ballif
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  2. Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi
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  3. Sophie Lufkin
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  4. Emmanuel Rey
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Correspondence to Christophe Ballif.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Ballif, C., Perret-Aebi, LE., Lufkin, S. et al. Integrated thinking for photovoltaics in buildings. Nat Energy 3, 438–442 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0176-2

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