VK partners with R&D-team for suitable and affordable BIPV

Renewable energy sources are important allies in achieving ambitious climate targets, especially in the building world. BIPV or Building-Integrated PhotoVoltaics can play a significant part in the much needed increase of nZEB buildings. However, this technology still faces a number of challenges. Maaike Berckmoes, principal façade engineering at VK and partner in the BIPV4ALL R&D team, states: “Building elements such as façade panels with BIPV not only generate electricity, they also form the protective and aesthetic shell of a building.” On both of these aspects, progress can be made.

Digitalization, flexibility & automatisation are key

The BIPV4ALL project, as the name suggests, has the objective to make BIPV suitable and affordable for all building projects. It will create proof-of-concept BIPV façade (& roof) modules with improved performance, aesthetics and costs, using new innovative materials and digital & automated fabrication processes. An outcome which is relevant for other PV-applications as well, such as noise barriers or vehicle roofs

The role of VK architects+engineers in the project is mainly looking to boost the digitalization and optimization of BIPV design & production processes. An interdisciplinary team of engineers from VK Façade Engineering, Sustainable Design & Digital Engineering will work-out a digital methodology/workflow for (BI)PV, with a focus on full life-cycle - from early design stage upto digital fabrication towards the O&M phase.

Funded imec.icon project

Obviously, the R&D of these proof-of-concept modules requires the knowhow of research groups, and companies covering the value chain from a building design to implementation: from BIPV analysis & design, to automated production of panels and implementation into real environments. As the first A&E company in Belgium that offered façade engineering, VK architects+engineers has a significant amount of use cases to inspire the way forward. With her many years of experience, Maaike Berckmoes & her team brings much knowhow to the table.

Seeing that the BIPV4ALL project also was a great match with VK’s full lifecycle ambitions, she fully committed together with the other R&D partners to submit a high-quality proposal was submitted and granted through imec.icon , with financial support from VLAIO (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship) and co-financed by imec. In the project VK architects+engineers partners with two imec research groups (WAFERPV & Energy Systems), AGC Mirodan, IPTE Factory Automation, Soltech NV (project leader) and VdS Weaving. The R&D project runs until the end of September 2024.

project website: https://www.imec-int.com/en/re...