Investigation of production systems for a building integrated photovoltaic thermal product

Abstract

Integration of solar energy devices with building products is one of the fastest growing markets in the building industry. Building integrated products are multifunctional and fit into a standard façade or roofing structure. This paper discusses a building integrated photovoltaic thermal collector (BIPVT) capable of generating electrical and thermal energy. Different production methodologies for manufacturing of the BIPVT system are discussed. Prototypes were manufactured as per the researched production methodologies. The optimum production systems for manufacturing the building integrated system were selected from the economic analysis and performance of the manufactured prototypes.