Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) are at the leading edge of the solar industry today. Led by thin film technologies, they are expected to really take over the market in upcoming years. Right now it is really only efficiency (or lack thereof) that inhibits BIPV products, and that is expected to change in the near future. So with that in mind, here are seven leading BIPV brands to watch out for as the industry heats up:

EnergyPeak Systems, crafted by Uni-Solar, is a BIPV product for owners of metal roofs. The flat, flexible solar sheets adhere to the flat area (between seams) of strips of metal roofing. They may be installed before or after the roof is installed. EnergyPeak systems also come with access to a calculator that determines both expected performance and estimates rate of payback and other financial variables.

Atlantis Energy Systems manufactures solar shingles they’ve dubbed Sunslates. These building integrated shingles are more like tiles that interlock, forming a circuit on the roof. While they are not the most flexible of shingles, Sunslates can produce over 1kW of electricity with about 300 sq. ft. of roof space and withstand winds of up to 80 mph.

Sun Tiles are the solar shingles preferred by SunPower Corporation. This brand uniquely fits into flat and S-Tile roof designs. Sun Tiles are all black and built to withstand winds over 100 mph.

BP Solar, one of the world’s leading solar manufacturers, create their own versions of solar shingles. BP’s EnergyTile is similar in design and function to Sunslates. Integra, their other BIPV brand, is made for asphalt shingle roofs and is all black in its best effort to blend in.

Sharp Solar is breaking big into the BIPV market. The former world leader in solar cell manufacturing plans to build a huge thin-film plant in Osaka, Japan. Their thin-film solar shingles are bigger and longer than Sunslates, their most similar counterpart.

Suntech’s Just Roof solar system is unique among BIPV solutions. Instead of being incorporated into a conventional roof, Just Roof systems are intended to replace the entire roof. The system has been around for 14 years, is completely waterproof, and warranted for 25 years. SunTech, using their Just Roof product, is building a 4.5 MW system, one of the world’s largest, in France. While it is ideal for new construction, according to SunTech, Just Roof also has retrofit potential.

Posted on September 5th in Solar Products by Dan.