Materials

Producer of high efficiency thin film solar energy systems HelioVolt and Architectural Glass & Aluminum Co. (AGA) are to develop and produce building-integrated photovoltaic photovoltaics (BIPVs).

BIPVs incorporate solar generation technology into standard glass curtain wall products, which are commonly used for modern building exteriors. By making it easier to design, install and operate solar generation technologies, building materials like these with embedded PVs are encouraging adoption of renewables.

“Driven by the inherent value of being able to generate clean electricity at the same place it’s being consumed, the market for distributed solar energy is developing at breakneck speed,” says HelioVolt’s CEO B. J. Stanbery.

The US Department of Energy estimates that BIPV systems on building roofs or exteriors could generate as much as 50% of the country’s electricity demand. Industry analysts, NanoMarkets, predict that the market for BIPV products could grow to as much as $800 million by 2011.

For further information:
www.heliovolt.net
www.aga-ca.com