The CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here has joined hands with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) for research and development in the area of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
A rapidly growing segment across the globe, BIPV systems incorporate solar cells in walls, roofs, tiles, railings and even curtains turning buildings into energy-efficient structures and at the same time giving them that sleek, futuristic look.
An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged in this regard by CSIR-NIIST director A. Ajayaghosh and ISAAC-SUPSI director Roman Rudel recently in Bengaluru. The venture will be led by Adersh Asok, scientist, Photosciences and Photonics Section, CSIR-NIIST; and Pierluigi Bonomo, Head, Swiss BIPV Competence Centre, SUPSI. The proposed activities would open up avenues for research, technology exchanges and joint projects, NIIST officials said.
“In simple terms, BIPV systems replace conventional construction materials with photovoltaic materials in building construction. For example, glass-glass PV modules where the solar cells are set between two glass panes,” Dr. Asok said.
The CSIR-NIIST is already engaged in R&D on BIPV, prototyping and demonstrating innovative optics solutions which have generated industrial enquiries and research collaborations. The sector is expected to register an impressive growth between 20 and 30 billion square metres of new constructions in the coming decades, according to the CSIR-NIIST. The SUPSI, with its Swiss BIPV Competence Centre, is a global leader in the BIPV field since 2004, according to the NIIST.
In October 2019, the CSIR-NIIST and SUPSI had also jointly organised the first Indo-Swiss workshop on ‘Building Integrated Solar Energy Systems.’
