The Swedish Presidency at the EU Energy Council was congratulated for an agreement reached in the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) where any new European building will have to be “nearly zero energy” by 2020, so a very large share of energy consumption has to be provided by renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic (right) are believed among the best suited to be integrated in buildings (BIPV). Thankfully for the pockets of Europeans, no target has been set for existing buildings currently represent about 99% of the building stock.
 
EPIA hopes that the new EPBD will ensure a strong boost for on-site renewable energy sources (RES) like photovoltaics (PV), which as a decentralised and sustainable energy technology is easy and quick to install in housing and has the ability to provide a significant share of the household and commercial energy demand. The threshold of 1000 m2 present in the previous EPBD has now been removed, opening possibilities to improve the energy performance for all building sizes.
 
The directive stipulates that “the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should to a very significant extent be covered by energy coming from renewable sources, including renewable energy produced on-site or nearby”. EPIA recommends when transposing the directive into the national law, that EU member states focus on developing the potential of “on-site” renewable energy sources, to turn energy consuming buildings into more energy independent, autonomous or even, positive energy buildings.
 
For existing buildings, using alternative systems are encouraged. EPIA believes this constitutes progress but member states should be more ambitious and propose a concrete target for this major segment of the market when transposing the law. “If well implemented by the 27 EU countries, this new piece of legislation will be essential to meet the target set by EPIA to reach 12% of Europe’s electricity demand by 2020 with photovoltaic energy” commented Eleni Despotou, EPIA Policy Director.
 
Photovoltaic technology can be integrated in many ways in buildings either on the roof ( replacing the tiles), on external building walls, as partially transparent façades (inside the glass), shading elementsor skylight (or semi- transparent roofs).

America racing on the cost and technolgy
Seems that everyone wants a stake in this solar race, but the problem is which horse to bet on. It's got more contenders than the Grand National with a huge range of approaches. Among the latest, an intriguingly new approach in self assembly origami solar cells researched by the University of Illinois where Professor of chemistry, Ralph Nuzzo (left) wants to make compact cells with significant power output.

Curves surfaces capture more light than flat, having greater surface area, so his group are making microscale 3D structures that self-assemble from flat sheets. Flat silicon is etched into a thin 2D shape. To make the sphere, it is cut to a flower shape, adhesive securing a small piece of glass to hold the shape, once assembled. A central drop of water in the flower centre evaporates, sand urface tension pulls up the petals to form a sphere.

(Right)Three thin films of silicon fold up into 3-D shapes under the force of surface tension as water droplets placed in their centers evaporate. The top row depicts the first step, when the water droplets are large, and the images below it show a time progression as the water droplets shrinks.

The Illinois group came up with mathematical models to help predict the mechanical properties of silicon sheets of different shapes and thicknesses, as well as how they interact with water, which can be tuned by chemically treating their surfaces.

The printed approach
Over in California, Solexant, a San Jose company is currently manufacturing solar cells to test iyd technology. Compete with other thin-film solar players, it puts its faith in simpler, cheaper printing processes and materials, lower initial capital costs to build its plants and expects to sell modules for $1/watt, with efficiencies above 10%.

It has licensed nanocrystal growth methods from nanotechnology (left) Professor Paul Alivisatos, who is on Solexant's board of directors, making them into inks to bring down the costs. The thin film solar cells relies on semiconducting nano crystals 4nm in diameter and 20-20nm long. "The trick with these cells is how to deposit the materials on the fly in a way that makes a very conductive surface," which in turn ensures decent light-to-electricity conversion, says Alivisatos. Using the roll to roll processes for making the cell allows for dramatic cost benefits producing cells for 50c/W where in comparison to First Solar which prints cells to glass with a manufacturing cost of 85c/W.

And don't forget as well as the many Cadmium Indium Gallium Selinide (CIGS) developers, that old silicon hand, Applied Materials has acquired the asets of Advent Solar to bolster its c-Si technology. Advent Solar uses emitter wrap through (EWT) cells that uses epi-filled through silicon vias and equivalent wafer level packaging reducing loss in efficiency from front side conductors. Planar manufacture (high capacity, easier handling and production) results in 17% efficiencies. The technology is compatible with multicrystalline, monocrystalline and upgrade metallurgical silicon.

In China and Taiwan, news is that TSMC  is to become largest shareholder of Motech with 20% shareholding subject to Motech shareholders' approval and regulatory approval.

"With the investment, TSMC intends to leverage Motech's established platform to accelerate our time to market, better evaluate opportunities along the solar value chain, and further formulate our overall solar strategy," said Rick Tsai, (right) president of TSMC New Business.

With manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and China, PV maker Motech has a vertical integration strategy, with in-house ingot & wafer capabilities, majority investment in polysilicon production, via advanced fluidised bed reactor technology. and is also a provider of PV systems and the all important PV inverters.

One to watch back home
But back home in the UK, keep an eye on Enecsys and the magic word inverters, key to whole PV game. Enecsys  Ltd, manufacturs of solar photovoltaic micro-inverters, that has just named Mossadiq Umedaly (left) as its executive chairman.

An energy name to conjure with, Umedaly has over 20 years’ experience in growing clean energy businesses, starting with VP and CFO of fuel cell pioneer Ballard Power Systems, transforming the power electronics Xantrex Technology to $300m  revenues in 2008 and latterly chair of BC Hydro and Power Authority the $5bn Canadian electric utility.

“At a time when several companies are entering the solar micro-inverter market, Enecsys has a unique value proposition that offers distinct advantages for PV module manufacturers, solar PV system integrators, installers and end customers,” said Umedaly.

“Most importantly, the company has an outstanding board, management team, and technology ready to deliver products to the market in the near future. I look forward to working with them to help ensure that Enecsys reaches its full potential as a leader in this fast-growing market.”

In the hectic US and Far East charge into the solar PV markets, Europe's new Energy Performance Building Directive may hopefully stir some local player activity. Solar PV efficiency, as the experts can tell you, is often more than just the cell efficiency (though that helps) but involves the entire system, inverters and all.