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products are destined for roofing. The remaining 20% destined for facades have been gaining more
space in the market due to the diversity of aesthetic and innovative appeal solutions.
Jelle et al. [9] categorize BIPV applications into four product subgroups according to their
commercial denomination: Foils, including flexible sheets and membranes applicable to facades and
roofs; Tiles, designed specifically for roofing applications; Modules, with sealing or cladding function;
and Glazing Systems, including semitransparent modules applicable to facades and roofs. This
classification is followed by other authors such as Shukla et al. [10] and Tripathy et al. [11] who bring
relevant revisions works focused in BIPV products and applications, with detailed information on their
properties and performance.
Zanetti et al. [12] list the latest products available on the market. In their classification, they expand
the category of Foils, adopting the denomination Light‐weight and add the Prefab category, composed of
systems ready for use, with plug and play technology.
3.2. PV Technologies and applications
PV cell technologies are generally classified into 3 generations, depending on the basic material
used. The 1st generation technologies, composed of monocrystalline silicon (sc‐Si) or multicrystalline
(mc‐Si), currently represent more than 97% of total cell production, producing stable panels with good
efficiencies, low cost, and ease of application. [13].
The 2nd generation based on thin‐film cells, consists of extremely thin layers of semiconductor
materials deposited on substrates such as glass, metal or plastic, requiring a minimum amount of
semiconductor material that makes their manufacture potentially cheaper [13]. Available thin‐film cells
are developed by three families of materials: amorphous silicon (a‐Si); cadmium telluride (CdTe) and
copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).
The concepts of 3rd generation cells are focused on high efficiency, aiming at low cost/watt, with
the use of abundant materials and low toxicity, allowing more efficient use of sunlight in maximum
efficiency configurations, bringing great potential for alternatives for the future of BIPV.
BIPV systems performance is linked not only to the adopted technology but also with the criteria
of applicability. Yussef et al. [14] suggest a general criterion synthesized in Table 1, with applicability
recommendations between the classifications of PV and building surfaces, that in authors view are not
affected by location, building type or architectural preference, although these criteria will affect PV
performance in general.
Table 1. Applicability recommendations between PV classifications and surfaces. Adapted from
Yussef et al. [14]
Additional Tracking systems
Technology Concentrated PV
Transparency
Transparent >30%
thin film glazing <30%
Semitransparent
Flexibility
>30%
PV on glass <30%
Opaque PV 0%
Flexible PV
Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems: State of The Art Review And
Perspectives of Expansion in Brazil
Thin films PV
p‐Sci PV
m‐Sci PV
Roof Surfaces
PV type
Façade Surfaces
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