NaREC, PowerGlaz and Crystalox have together secured £1.2m DTI funding for a major
new R&D programme for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).
"Project Havemor" will develop and bring into commercial production, a range of
speciality BIPV modules with a much higher aesthetic value than those currently
available. The products will give architects a flexible range of options for Building
Integrated Photovoltaics, making PV a design choice as well as practical choice.
NaREC's team are perfecting solutions for Coloured Silicon Cells for BIPV
The project will create the UK's first integrated solar business with wafer, cell
and module manufacturers all working together. The project will establish NaREC
and partners Romag and Crystalox in a leading position in this emerging specialist
sector of the solar energy market.
The future for Building Integrated Photovoltaics in the UK has already been made
certain; as many local authorities are now requiring that all major developments
generate at least 10% of their energy requirement from renewable sources - within
the development itself. Project Havemor will work to create some of the products
that the building industry will need to meet these targets.
In recent years the world market for PV has seen growth at up to 30% per annum.
This has been driven mainly by the demand for roof top systems in Japan and Germany.
Around 5 MWp of the PV modules supplied in 2003 were identified as specifically
for building integration; this will grow to 15MWp by 2008 - $67.5m in revenue. Assuming
a successful development, the new HAVEMOR modules could command a significant percentage
of this revenue.
"The BIPV market is expected to grow in importance. As one of the world's leading
producers of multicrystalline silicon, PV Crystalox Solar has the capability to
modify material grain structure to enable development of modules with higher aesthetic
appeal and thus stimulate the demand for BIPV."
Dr. Barry Garrard, Technical Director, Crystalox
