The design and development of a glass Building Integrated Photovoltaic System (BIPVs) and its installation on façades is the topic of an innovative project launched recently in Cyprus, as a result of the collaboration between k-energy, Deloitte's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre and the Research Centre for Sustainable Energy (FOSS) of the University of Cyprus. The Project, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation, aims to develop a complete glass BIPV system abiding to all building regulations (including resilience and safety, and fire requirements) to be installed in commercial buildings. In addition, the new product will enable natural light to enter the building whilst filter out harmful solar radiation and assist in maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures for the occupants.
The final result of the project is to deliver a turnkey glass BIPV end-solution for façades and windows, which will have been already pilot tested as retrofitted glazing in an existing building in Cyprus and will thus be ready for certification by an official certification body, in order to verify full compliance with PV & Building safety regulations, the new BIPV standard (EN 50583 'Photovoltaics in Buildings'), as well as with national regulations regarding building constructions and retrofitting in Cyprus.
The project which will address, at the design stage, all the technical complexities and create the technical skills for local building professionals will produce a BIPV solution that will be commercialized and become available by the end of 2020, in order to be effectively utilized by architects/engineers in new buildings in Cyprus, as specified by the Energy Performance in Buildings (EPBD) directive.