Examples of successful architectural integration of PV: Japan

By the end of 2002 more than 1300 MWp of photovoltaic power was installed in industrialized countries worldwide. Of this, approximately 640 MWp, or 48%, is installed in Japan, mainly on buildings. This makes Japan the most prominent country in the field of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The interest in integration of PV among Japanese architects has increased accordingly, which has resulted in many sophisticated and innovative designs. This short communication introduces four examples of successful architectural integration from different fields. The Japanese government aims at an installed PV capacity of 4820 MWp in 2010. In parallel, the Japanese PV industry needs to develop into a strong sector which is able to operate without direct market support. The role of architects in this process should not only be to increase the volume of building integrated PV, but also to make comprehensive, integral designs, which include sunlight shading, thermal insulation, energy saving, passive use of solar energy, and obviously also photovoltaics. Furthermore, architects could make an important contribution to establishing a new, sustainable urban environment in which BIPV is used on a large scale as a distributed source of energy. This fits well within the new international effort in the framework of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS), Task 10. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.