I. Policy-Driven: Strategic Positioning and Implementation Support Under the Dual-Carbon Goals

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), as the core platform for “building energy conservation + new energy utilization,” has been incorporated into the national energy and urban-rural development strategic framework. Policy support has evolved from “guidance and encouragement” to “mandatory promotion.”

At the national level, the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Modern Energy System” explicitly calls for “promoting the integrated application of photovoltaics in buildings.” The “Implementation Plan for Peaking Carbon Emissions in the Urban and Rural Construction Sector” stipulates that by 2025, the proportion of newly built urban buildings equipped with photovoltaic systems will exceed 50%, and by 2030, the coverage rate of photovoltaic systems in public buildings will reach 100%.

Local Implementation: Beijing mandates the installation of BIPV systems in newly built public buildings and provides a subsidy of 0.3 yuan per watt; Shandong is piloting an “photovoltaic building integration + energy storage” model, offering subsidies of up to 5 million yuan per project; Jiangsu and Zhejiang have incorporated BIPV into their green building evaluation systems, requiring three-star-rated projects to meet a photovoltaic installation density of at least 50 W/㎡.

Financial Support: The central bank has established a special re-lending facility of 200 billion yuan for green finance to support the construction of BIPV projects, and commercial banks are offering preferential interest rate reductions of 10% to 15%.

II. Market Boom: A Leap in Scale—from Pilot Demonstrations to Large-Scale Applications

Policy benefits and technological cost reductions are jointly driving the BIPV market into a period of rapid growth, fostering a collaborative development pattern across the entire industry chain.

Market Scale Data: According to data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, China's BIPV market reached 128 billion yuan in 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of 67%. The market is projected to surpass 300 billion yuan by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 55%. By 2030, the market size is expected to reach 1.2 trillion yuan.

Industrial chain layout:

Upstream: Companies such as LONGi Green Energy and Oriental Rise have launched high-efficiency BIPV modules with conversion efficiencies exceeding 23%, and costs have dropped by 40% compared to 2019.

Midstream: China Construction and CSCEC Engineering are leading the integration of projects. Shanghai Construction Group has completed over 30 million square meters of BIPV projects to date, demonstrating industry-leading capabilities in technology integration.

Downstream: Property developers such as Vanke and Greentown have incorporated BIPV into their standardized product lines. By 2024, Vanke aims to achieve a 70% BIPV coverage rate in its newly built projects, with each community capable of generating enough electricity annually to meet 30% of the energy consumption in its public areas. In the public buildings sector, landmark projects like Beijing Daxing International Airport and the Hangzhou Asian Games Village have been successfully implemented, driving large-scale adoption of BIPV in settings such as hospitals, schools, and office buildings.

III. Core Values: A Dual Breakthrough in Energy Conservation, Carbon Reduction, and Diversified Empowerment

Compared to the traditional model of separating photovoltaic power stations from buildings, BIPV offers multiple irreplaceable advantages:

Energy Self-Sufficiency and Carbon Reduction: A single square meter of BIPV components can generate approximately 120–150 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. After installation on a 100,000-square-meter building, annual carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by about 1,000 tons—equivalent to planting 50,000 trees—and the system can meet 40% to 60% of the building’s electricity demand.

Efficient use of space: Replacing traditional roofing and curtain wall materials without occupying additional land resources, while simultaneously providing shading and thermal insulation, thereby reducing building air-conditioning energy consumption by 15% to 20%.

Diversified economic benefits: In addition to electricity generation revenue, BIPV projects can benefit from premiums in green electricity trading (0.1–0.2 yuan per kWh higher than conventional electricity prices) and revenues from carbon emission reduction credits. In some cities, the investment payback period for these projects has already been shortened to 6–8 years.

Integration of Aesthetics and Functionality: Components can be customized in color and shape, seamlessly integrating with architectural designs to address the pain point of traditional photovoltaic panels being “clumsily installed,” thereby enhancing the overall quality and aesthetic appeal of buildings.

IV. Development Bottlenecks: The Triple Constraints of Technology, Standards, and the Market

Despite the promising market outlook, the BIPV industry still faces phased challenges:

Insufficient technical adaptability: Components exhibit poor compatibility in curved architectural designs and renovation projects for existing buildings; flexible BIPV components are relatively expensive—30% to 50% higher than conventional components.

Inconsistent standard systems: Technical specifications for the sealing, fire protection, and wind-load resistance of component-to-building interfaces have not yet been fully harmonized, and acceptance criteria vary significantly across different regions.

Cost and Operational & Maintenance Challenges: Initial construction costs are 8% to 12% higher than those of conventional buildings, leading to insufficient acceptance among small- and medium-sized property developers. The mismatch between component lifespan (25 years) and building lifespan (50 years) results in high costs for later replacement and maintenance.

Insufficient cognition and collaboration: Some designers lack the capability for integrated BIPV design, and the collaboration efficiency between PV companies and construction firms remains low, leading to extended project implementation timelines.

V. Future Trends: Technological Iteration and Ecosystem Collaboration Drive High-Quality Development

As technology matures and policies are refined, BIPV will evolve toward “higher efficiency, integration, and intelligence.”

Technological upgrades and cost reductions: Perovskite-BIPV components are expected to achieve a conversion efficiency exceeding 30%, with costs continuing to decline. By 2026, they are projected to reach “cost parity” with conventional building materials.

Deepened integrated design: BIM technology is deeply integrated with BIPV design, enabling end-to-end collaboration across architecture, structure, and photovoltaics. Specialized components for retrofitting existing buildings will become a new growth driver.

Widespread adoption of intelligent operations and maintenance: By integrating IoT and AI technologies, we can achieve component power generation monitoring, fault early warning, and automated operations and maintenance by cleaning robots, thereby reducing later-stage operational costs.

Expanded Scenario-Based Applications: From residential and public buildings to industrial plants, industrial parks, and cold-chain warehouses, the “BIPV + Energy Storage + Microgrid” model will become standard equipment for industrial parks.

Perfecting market-oriented mechanisms: Green electricity trading and carbon trading markets are further integrated, continuously expanding revenue channels for BIPV projects, shifting from policy-driven to a dual-engine approach driven by both “policy + market.”