Ray Noble, REA (Renewable Energy Association) PV (photovoltaic) Specialist, zipped into towtn for the WFES and spent some time with Samantha Keck, sharing his thoughts on BIPV (built-in photovoltaic) as well as the latest green building initiatives in the region.
Ray Noble makes no bones about anything. “One of the big problems in the solar industry is that most people make the standard sized modules, put them in a container, ship them to the customer, end of story,” said Noble matter-of-a-factly. “But BIPV is different. With knowledge and experience from the construction, PV and glass industries, we marry technology with aesthetics, and produce a unique product that can be designed according to various architectural requirements of the buildings.” Currently enjoying a healthy market share in BIPV, Noble sends his products from the UK to as far away as Japan and China. But he was quick to highlight that these were not sustainable markets. “They (China and Japan) will be able to manufacture themselves eventually,” conceded Noble.
BIPV in MENA
What about the response to BIPV from the region? Noble gave an optimistic but cautious response: “It takes time to develop a market. We have been in the market for two and a half years, talking to various people. But it would appear that a lot of the people that we are talking to want this (BIPV) as part of their building.” Noble pointed out that not only do owners want their building to be different from the building next door; they also want the building to be a generator of energy for the building’s own energy consumption.
Noble elaborated on the technology of generating electricity from BIPV: “PV generates DC electricity. You put that through what is called an inverter which converts the electricity from DC to AC.” According to Noble, there can be many small inverters in to different parts of the building converting the DC to AC. Noble added: “In effect, the electricity that comes out of the inverter is the perfect harmonic wave of AC electricity. So you connect all levels to the distribution system and you have two supplies of electricity – one from the grid and one from the PV.” The beauty of the system, Noble pointed out, was that any electricity needed by the building would be drawn from the PV first. If the electricity from the PV was not sufficient, the building would then draw the remainder from the grid. Noble further added: “It’s all done seamlessly, and there are no spikes on the grid. PV becomes the main source and the grid becomes supplement.”
Unlike many parts of Europe, Noble noted that the interest in BIPV in the region rests mainly with new buildings. Noble admitted that he was very keen to change the perception. “Of course, you can do it for new buildings, and for the future. But remember there are buildings from last year, and 10 years ago or longer, that are still going to be there in the future and absorbing huge quantities of energy.” Noble emphasised that it was worth reforming the older buildings, and lower their energy consumption while giving them a new look. “That’s where you get the big wins,” said Noble.
To drive home his argument, Noble highlighted that some older buildings in Europe underwent retrofitting with BIPV cladding so as to decrease heating bills in the winter while acquiring the ability to generate its own electricity. “The building saved on energy consumption, and became an energy generator. In some cases, we are getting to 100% of energy generation. In essence, you have reached a zero carbon building.”
The long road ahead
Noble explained that BIPV had come a long way in the region. “Lots of people did not know what it meant and what the impact would be,” said Noble. “They thought that every time the sun came out, their lights would come on.” In fact, the opposite was true. Noble added the utility companies eventually came to see the light (pun intended) and realised that solar electricity was coming at peak load times. This meant that in the summer, solar power was coming in when the air-conditioning would be running at peak, effectively helping the utilities trim their peak loads. Noble also highlighted that the future would see the more storage techniques coming along, helping to regulate the injection of electricity into the grids from PV. “This would save the utilities having to turn up the power stations so as to deal with the spike in electricity consumption,” said Noble. With the increase in focus on electricity from renewable sources, would it not signal the beginning of a bright future for BIPV? While not begging to differ, Noble had a slight twist in his reply: “Green building codes is a step in the right direction but they only affect new build.”
BIPV – green from start to end
BIPV, Noble pointed out, is of extreme low maintenance. “Basically what you are trying to do is to keep the light shining on the solar cells,” said Noble. “So it’s like cleaning glass.” Noble added that one of the most effective ways of ensuring that the BIPV’s performance is kept at optimum level is to monitor the efficiency of the cells, so as to determine when to clean it. “Solar cells work on light levels, so even on a dull day it could still generate electricity,” said Noble. “Monitoring the performance of the cells is more accurate than trying to clean it just from a visual inspection.” Solar cells have a lifespan of 25 years. So what happens to them after that? “By the end of 25 years, they will generate 80% of their original capacity,” said Noble. “Solar cells have no moving parts, they actually do not wear out. Once you install it into a building, it is there for the life of the building.” Noble further added: “You can either reuse them or ship them to a third world country. The product is such that 99% of it is recyclable.”
