Sociotechnical complexities associated with the development of Building Integrated Photovoltaic fac̦ade systems

Abstract

Significant opportunities to improve the energy use in buildings open remarkable possibilities for innovation over the next two decades. Particularly in the United States, 41% of primary energy consumption in 2010 went into buildings. This work has applied a broad perspective that combines management, technology, and social sciences to analyze the development and integration challenges of emerging Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems that would likely be integrated into building fac̦ades as part of a portfolio of alternatives that might contribute to the development of zero-energy buildings. The analysis contributes to identify some sociotechnical complexities associated with the development of BIPV systems. In addition, it characterizes different products' architectures based on their technical performance, technical complexity, perceived complexity, and exposure to subjective judgment. It shows that the resolution of the friction between the aesthetic and the electricity generation function is one of the early-stage design decisions that may have significant influence on the adoption of the system.