Standardization, performance risks andidentification of related gaps for aperformance-based qualification in BIPV

The growing demand for the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems integrated in buildings, having the need to be versatile, to provide design and multifunctional features beyond the bare energy production, is triggering a profound change in the sector of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), with major challenges to be addressed in the coming years. Supported by the increasing technological development, by digitization and process innovation, such systems will progressively have to be implemented in the ordinary construction market allowing the achievement of the demanding energy policies for nZEB buildings. These BIPV products are evolving from the only function of architectural integration, intended as an aesthetical element capable of producing energy, towards multifunctional products that can aggregate many features required for the building skin such as thermal and acoustic insulation, solar control, safety in case of fire, etc. However, to effectively enter the building market, the BIPV products will necessarily have to respect the goal of cost-effectiveness on the entire production chain as well as the compliance with adequate quality, safety and reliability requirements. In addition to a technological development, it is essential to obtain a specific interconnection between product standards, industry standards and specific rules for the type of installation and use in buildings. The EN 50583-1:2016 and EN 50583-2:2016 standards made a first step in this direction by defining the properties and the applicable regulatory framework for photovoltaic modules used as construction products. Nevertheless, the current regulatory framework collects norms created for standard PV or, on the other hand, for “non-active” building products, without proposing new testing procedures specifically adapted to BIPV. Consequently, significant progress regarding BIPV systems qualification is still needed, which represents a current barrier for a mass market deployment. From the current regulatory framework, very often not sufficient for addressing a proper BIPV performance assessment and validation, it arises the need to identify new “multi-disciplinary” reference requirements, performance levels and new test methodologies better suited to the use of PV in building skin. Therefore, a possible path for addressing these issues will be addressed within WP5 of the project by identifying the gaps in the current standards related to BIPV and by developing a new performance-based approach for the qualification of BIPV products. This deliverable will provide an overview on the current normative framework, including the definition of some relevant missing gaps in relation to reference requirements and a roadmap to define new reference procedures for BIPV products qualification, as the basic ground for next developments in the coming years.