For Building Owners

Most commercial scenarios see simple payback around 5-7 years, depending on façade area, local electricity rates, and qualifying incentives. BIPV qualifies for the same incentives as commercial solar—typically three layers: federal investment tax credit, accelerated depreciation, and local cash-in-hand programs (utility rebates, state/provincial programs) that can cover 60-80% of façade cost upfront. The remaining 20-40% is repaid through energy savings. After payback, the system continues generating power for 60+ years, reducing operating expenses, improving net operating income, and supporting asset value. We provide project-specific financial models including expected kWh/year, bill savings based on your tariff, incentive calculations, and clear payback/ROI projections before you commit.

Supply-only ranges from $45-65/SF, and turnkey installed ranges from $70/SF to $100+/SF. BIPV effectively combines two budgets: building envelope and solar installation. BIPV façade systems generally align with premium cladding costs. When BIPV costs exceed standard cladding, it becomes highly competitive once you factor in incentives and tax credits (covering 60-80% upfront), 25+ years of energy savings, and maintenance-free building envelope. You're not just buying cladding—you're investing in an income-generating asset that pays you back.

Mitrex BIPV is treated identically to conventional solar for incentives. Eligible projects may access federal/national investment tax credits (ITC), accelerated depreciation (MACRS), state/provincial or utility cash-in-hand rebates for on-site renewable generation, and stackable incentives. Some jurisdictions offer additional bonuses for building-integrated or architecturally integrated solar. Combined, these typically cover 60-80% of façade cost upfront. We work with your tax and finance advisors to map out a 'capital stack' combining incentives, depreciation, and cash rebates to minimize your net investment and maximize returns.

Panels are designed for 60-year service life and are virtually maintenance-free. Our lifetime warranty includes a 25-year product warranty covering the façade as building material, and 25-year performance warranty guaranteeing defined percentage of original power output (typically around 80% of initial output at year 25). Maintenance is minimal—similar to glazed façades with periodic visual inspections and cleaning schedules aligned with your building's façade maintenance plan. This long-term reliability is crucial for lifecycle value and long-term asset planning.

Energy production is project-specific based on façade area, orientation, location, shading conditions, and color choices. We provide detailed estimates of system capacity (kW), annual production (kWh/year), and expected bill savings based on your local utility rates. For example, a typical commercial façade project might generate 7,500-15,000+ kWh annually depending on size, offsetting common-area loads like lighting, HVAC, elevators, and EV charging. We account for site-specific shading, building geometry, and local climate data in our calculations to give you realistic, bankable production estimates that support informed financial decision-making.

A solar façade directly supports higher building value through reduced operating costs, improved net operating income (NOI), and more resilient energy profile—all favorable in valuations and cap-rate discussions. It advances ESG and reporting with on-site renewable generation and transparent environmental data (EPDs, embodied carbon metrics) for corporate ESG, net-zero, and climate-disclosure commitments. Many institutional, tech, and corporate tenants actively seek low-carbon, visibly sustainable buildings. A Mitrex façade becomes both a design feature and visible sustainability story you can promote in marketing and leasing materials.

Maintenance is similar to high-quality glass or metal façades. The exterior glass surface includes anti-soiling and hydrophobic properties reducing dirt build-up and making cleaning faster and less frequent. Routine maintenance typically involves visual inspections for damage or soiling and periodic cleaning aligned with your building's overall façade maintenance program. The system is designed to be virtually maintenance-free over its 60-year lifespan, significantly reducing long-term operating costs and access requirements compared to traditional cladding materials that may require refinishing, repainting, or replacement.

We maximize the energy generation by considering the location, orientation and project design. In general, the north side will generate less energy than the south, east, or west elevations. Whether or not it makes sense to use BIPV there usually comes down to cost feasibility. If the alternative cladding material is priced similarly to BIPV, and the energy generation provides a return on investment, then it may still be worthwhile to install BIPV on the north. But if there’s a significant cost difference and the energy output doesn’t justify it, a non-active material is typically the better option.
It’s uncommon for 100% of a building’s façade to be suitable for BIPV. In areas where solar integration isn’t feasible, non-active panels that visually match the active ones can be used to maintain a cohesive appearance. With BIPV, the most effective approach is not “all or nothing”—instead, it’s about being strategic. Some areas will offer better energy performance and cost-efficiency than others, and focusing on those zones is what’s typically recommended.Solar studies can be run in the design phase—these assessments help evaluate energy production potential, identify cost-effective areas for integration, and determine how much the system can contribute to the building’s overall energy needs.

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Our BIPV facade panels continue to produce power, even after the 25-year power warranty. The BIPV facade has a 60+ year lifespan, and continue to act as the building envelope even if power generation decreases. In the event of a retrofit, the BIPV panels are >90% recyclable with primary materials of glass and aluminum.

Mitrex BIPV uses high-efficiency solar cells (typically ~22% cell efficiency), while the delivered panel power density depends on architectural choices and site conditions. As a practical planning range, output is often ~7–18 W/ft² (75–196 W/m²) depending on factors like orientation, tilt, color/opacity, cell spacing, and shading. Because BIPV is part of the building envelope, we typically provide owners and design teams with a clear estimate of annual production (kWh/year), expected bill offset, and performance assumptions (soiling, temperature, inverter losses, etc.) rather than relying on a single nameplate number.