Integrated appraisal of a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system

Energy analysis, environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analysis have been utilised to study the performance of a domestic building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system on a ´whole systems´ basis. The energy analysis determined that the system paid back its embodied energy in just 4.5 years. Environmental LCA revealed that over the lifetime of the BIPV system the impacts from production were offset by the electricity generated (the avoided impacts) to provide a net environmental benefit. The financial analysis considered the householder´s perspective, in contrast to the cost-benefit analysis, which considered a societal perspective. The results of both indicated that under current market conditions the system failed to pay back its initial investment over the 25 year lifetime. However it was predicted that with sustained market growth BIPV could become economically viable by the year 2019. If realised BIPV would offer an attractive option to assist the UK´s anticipated (mandatory) zero carbon homes by the year 2016.