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Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Explained
Explore BIPV
By Category
Active Facades
Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) is solar technology built directly into the materials of a building - not added on top of them.
Unlike conventional rooftop solar panels that are mounted onto an existing structure as a secondary system, BIPV replaces conventional building materials entirely. Facades, cladding, glass, roofing, railings - every surface becomes a power-generating building component. The result is a building envelope that serves its traditional structural and aesthetic function while simultaneously generating clean electricity.
The sun delivers more energy to Earth in a single hour than the entire world consumes in a year. BIPV is how buildings harness that potential at scale - without land area constraints, without compromising design, and without the visual impact of conventional solar.
All light carries photons - particles of energy that, when they strike a photovoltaic cell, excite electrons and cause them to flow through a circuit. That flow of electrons is electricity. Mitrex BIPV modules embed photovoltaic cells behind a tempered glass facing, converting every sun-exposed surface of the building into a generator. DC electricity produced by the modules travels through concealed wiring into the building's electrical room, where an inverter converts it to AC power for building use or grid export.
BIPV stands for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics. Building-Integrated means the solar technology is part of the building envelope itself - the module is the cladding, the glass, the railing. It replaces a conventional building material rather than sitting on top of one. Photovoltaics refers to materials that convert sunlight into electricity using the photoelectric effect. The term is used across architecture, construction, and renewable energy to describe any solar product that simultaneously functions as a building material and a power generator.
Conventional rooftop solar (BAPV) is mounted onto an existing structure as a secondary system - limited to rooftops, visible, and architecturally constrained. BIPV replaces the building material itself, unlocking every facade elevation, glazing surface, and railing as a generation asset. A multi-storey commercial building's vertical facade area is typically many times larger than its roof footprint, meaning BIPV accesses a generation surface conventional solar cannot reach. Both technologies are complementary - buildings that deploy BIPV on facades can still carry rooftop panels for maximum total output.
Traditional solar adoption has always faced the same constraints: finite roof space, land requirements for ground-mounted arrays, and conventional panel aesthetics that conflict with architectural intent. BIPV removes all three simultaneously. Every surface that already needs to be built - the facade, the glazing, the cladding - becomes a dual-purpose investment: building material and power plant in one. The result is clean energy generation at building scale, with no additional footprint, no design compromise, and no surfaces left idle.
Conventional solar panels (BAPV) are mounted onto an existing building surface as a secondary system. BIPV replaces the building material itself - the cladding, the glass, the siding - so the surface generates energy instead of just occupying space on the facade.
BIPV is applicable to most commercial, institutional, and multi-family residential building types. The key requirement is facade or roof surface area exposed to sunlight. A project analysis determines optimal placement, system size, and expected output for a specific building.
Yes. BIPV generates electricity year-round. Output is lower in winter due to shorter daylight hours and a lower solar angle, but cold temperatures do not reduce photovoltaic efficiency - cells actually perform better in cold conditions than in extreme heat. Mitrex systems are specified and installed across Canadian markets.
Mitrex BIPV modules are designed for decades of service life, backed by both hardware and energy generation warranties, and tested to NFPA 285, IEC/UL 61730, and ASTM E330 standards.
Colour treatment affects how much light passes through the glass facing to the photovoltaic cell layer. Mitrex's patented coating process maximizes light transmittance for all colour specifications, and any variance is quantified in project energy modelling. Colour is a design decision - not a barrier to performance.
Yes. Mitrex BIPV is designed for both new construction and retrofit applications. Retrofit projects replace existing facade cladding or glazing with BIPV equivalents, adding energy generation without altering the building's structural system.
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