Building integrated photovoltaics combines aesthetics and ecology

Willi Ernst, Managing Director & Manuela Schäfers, Marketing Manager, BIOHAUS PV Handels GmbH

Photovoltaics is a worldwide rapidly growing market. Germany is in fact the biggest market, followed by Japan, the US and other European countries. Renewable energies are getting
increasingly more important, in 2005 the share of renewable energies was 10.2 percent of the whole power consumption in Germany. The newly installed capacity in Germany was approximately 600 MW in 2005 and approx. 660 MW in 2006. For 2007, the production of 2 Gigawatt installed power is expected. In reference to the application of solar modules a strong tendency can be seen: the use of existing building structures. BIPV – building integrated photovoltaics – means to make the solar system part of the building. This application is especially suitable for new buildings or building reconstruction. With a BIPV solution the solar modules replace traditional materials and become part of the building.

BIOHAUS as a distributor and manufacturer of photovoltaic modules has specialised in BIPV. With the new solar passive office building BIOHAUS has shown remarkable solutions by integrating 13 different solar modules. In 2005, BIOHAUS also introduced the new solar roof tile BIOSOL XXL, a large solar system specially designed for direct integration in trade and agricultural buildings, and the new system BIOSOL PV Plate, the BIPV solution for all large surfaces.

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The Authors

Mr. Willi Ernst Managing Director BIOHAUS PV Handels GmbH Willi Ernst is the Managing Director of Biohaus since 1999. The educatinal sociologist took charge of the Solar Division of Biohaus Paderborn in 1988 and set up Biohaus PV Handels GmbH in 1999 as it... Read more