On 9 October 2024, the Increase project organised a workshop with French stakeholders at CSTB’s offices, a public research establishment in the construction sector, to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and solutions for the development of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in France. First, the workshop covered technical topics related to Increase’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Following this, discussions focused on regulatory and policy topics.
The KPIs developed Increase project’s framework aim to effectively analyse and assess BIPV solutions from design to operations, with dedicated metrics. Building on the work of the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS)’s Task 15, six KPIs have been identified to characterise each BIPV solution. The overall objective of Task 15 is to create an enabling framework to accelerate the penetration and deployment of BIPV products in the global market of renewable energies. The workshop looked at the relevance and accuracy of the KPIs with experts from the BIPV sector. Their inputs were crucial to validate the work carried out in the project and will be included in the final definition of the KPIs.
The second part of the workshop focused on regulatory and policy challenges hindering the widespread adoption of BIPV in France. Representatives from the building and solar PV sectors, from local authorities and agencies, and the insurance industry, shared their insights on how to address these obstacles, and promote BIPV deployment.
One key area for discussion was the need for BIPV-specific trainings and certifications. Participants emphasised the importance of establishing dedicated training programmes for BIPV installers, covering both electrical and roof competencies. They highlighted the need to develop a European framework for certification, ensuring that installers possess the necessary expertise to handle the specificities of BIPV systems.
The topic of cross-sectoral knowledge building and cooperation was also highlighted as a priority. A collaborative approach with different stakeholders was suggested, for instance including firefighters in BIPV-related trainings to enhance their understanding of the technology and its implications for fire safety. Additionally, participants stressed the need for more comprehensive data from insurance companies regarding solar PV systems and related fire or damage claims, to better inform policy and safety guidelines.
In terms of support schemes, the discussion revealed a mismatch between the schemes available for building renovations and those for solar PV installations. The complexity of the current framework, along with the inability to combine these schemes, was identified as a significant barrier to BIPV adoption. Simplifying and integrating these support mechanisms would be crucial for promoting the technology.
Finally, awareness raising emerged as another critical issue. There is a need to increase awareness about the BIPV solutions available, particularly among heritage stakeholders. Engaging with these actors is essential to better understand heritage requirements, and develop tailored BIPV solutions that can be implemented in protected or historically significant buildings.
Overall, our workshop emphasised the importance of targeted training, cross-sectoral collaboration, simplified support schemes, and increased awareness to overcome the regulatory and policy challenges that currently impede the uptake of BIPV in France.
We’re already looking forward to our next workshop, and the opportunity to delve further into everything building-integrated solar.
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