What if the walls & windows of our homes, offices could generate electricity? Understanding the ecosystem that can enable building-integrated photovoltaic systems

India is witnessing a demographic shift towards urban living: By 2036, around 40 per cent of the country's population is projected to be concentrated in the cities.

To accomodate the burgeoning urban population, the number of high rise-high density buildings with more people and services, is increasing swiftly, pushing up electricity demand and putting stress on local grids.

With limited land availability and rising per capita energy consumption, cities must transition towards on-site clean energy generation to ensure a reliable power supply.

Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions help meet energy needs within buildings, while technologies like solar microgrids, electric vehicle chargers and smart streetlights can further support urban decarbonisation and build self-reliant cities.

Building-integrated photovoltaics, a subset of DRE

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BiPV) offers multiple seamless clean energy solutions that can be directly integrated into urban infrastructure, especially buildings through elements like facades, skylights and windows.

Technically, BiPV refers to construction materials embedded with layers of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells that generate electricity by producing current at specific voltages when exposed to sunlight, following the same principle as conventional solar modules.

Unlike traditional PV, these systems serve a dual purpose; it acts both as a power-generating system and a functional part of the building’s envelope. This makes it a space- and energy-efficient solution, especially relevant as cities face rising demands of EV charging and space cooling services. In fast-growing urban areas, such decentralised and built-in systems will be key to creating sustainable, self-reliant energy ecosystems.

Facilitating integration of BiPV applications into built spaces

Integrating BiPV with conventional materials serves multiple architectural, functional and aesthetic roles. Its semi-transparent modules let in natural light while generating electricity, offering a balance of function, comfort and design. With options in colours, shapes and sizes, BiPV can easily blend into different architectural styles.

It also helps in keeping interiors cooler by cutting down heat gain and reducing the need for air conditioning, making spaces more comfortable to live and work in — a perfect blend of utility and aesthetics.

The country’s urban solar potential, according to expert estimates, ranges from 221 gigawatts to 684 GW. The sector had a market share of $2.4 billion in 2024, projected to grow to $8.7 billion by 2033, with a strong growth momentum projection of 13.7 per cent compound annual growth rate.

The potential is across the entire BiPV ecosystem, which comprises rail- and road-integrated PV. While these are under urban building clusters, such commercial, institutional and high-density buildings are also very promising and are estimated to generate around 300 GW.

Background: Existing policy and regulatory frameworks  

While India’s 2024 Draft National Building Code and the PM Surya Ghar scheme formally acknowledge BiPV and have provisions for subsidy, on-ground benefits remain limited. There is still no clear definition, benchmarks costs, or approvals specific to BiPV, leaving it in a regulatory grey area.

Absence of clearer standards and BiPV-specific provisions restrict financing and credit availability for prospective consumers. Without targeted support and clearer standards, these frameworks remain aspirational.

Evolving barriers in BiPV adoption

•Regulatory and standard gaps: BiPV is often grouped with standard solar systems due to the lack of a clear regulatory definition, which prevents it from receiving the specific support it requires. India currently has no specific standards, guidelines, or codes for BIPV, leading to confusion around subsidies, ALMM, DCR and net metering eligibility.

Building permits and codes like the National Building Code also don’t explicitly recognise BiPV. While green rating systems like GRIHA and IGBC promote solar use, they lack BIPV-specific criteria. Without dedicated mandates or incentives, BIPV struggles to compete with conventional rooftop systems.

•Higher cost: BiPV systems can cost 1.5-2 times more than traditional materials due to their dual function as both building components and power generators. In India, typical installation costs are around Rs 41,000 per kW (Rs 60/Wp), with solar-integrated facades priced between Rs 19,000–22,000 per square metre, higher than conventional glass facades that cost Rs 12,000–14,000 per sqm. These higher costs combined with the need for customisation and specialised installation limit adoption, particularly in the residential and SME sectors. 
•Limited awareness and infrastructure: BiPV is still rare in India due to low awareness and limited local manufacturing. With only a few players like Novergy Solar and Atum, most panels are imported, increasing costs. Lack of trained professionals leads to design errors, and even local agencies often aren't familiar with new BiPV technologies. Retrofitting old buildings is complex and expensive. To scale BiPV, India needs better policies, local training, and support for domestic production.

Conclusion: Suggested course of action

First it is important to recognise and develop specific safety and technical standards for BiPV, which formally include BiPV within the rooftop solar markets.

Integrating parameters such as fire safety, wind resistance, structural integration via BIS standard for inclusion under National Building Codes can promote BiPV applications such as facades, roof tiles and shading devices. This shall aid in upcoming infrastructure development such as incorporating into Smart Cities Mission, industrial clusters and public-utility buildings can reduce energy costs, avoid land-use and support DRE applications across rural and urban infrastructure.

Then, attention should be paid to create market expansion opportunities via targeted awareness programmes on end-use applications, simultaneously include BiPV curriculum into current and upcoming skill-based training, such as the Surya Mitra programme. There is a need to boost domestic R&D through cross-sector collaborations and joint-ventures towards creating a robust market for BiPV. Institutions such as National Solar Energy Institute can aid in skilling and R&D to establish a strong and scalable foundation for BiPV adoption.

In order to enable immediate BiPV adoption, the country must prioritise commercial and industrial users with high energy demand to include BiPV within their premises. By offering preferential green credit products that account for energy efficiency and space utilisation, bankers can provide similar interest rates for RTS users.

Developing case examples via the upcoming public buildings and smart cities projects in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode shall also demonstrate feasibility and trust on BiPV applications.

As buildings are responsible for almost 30 per cent of emissions, BiPV not only offers an effective solution for decarbonisation but also creates new opportunities such as enhancing space efficiency, building aesthetics and employment generation. A 5.5 GW rollout by 2040 could create 44,000 green jobs, highlighting how green initiatives can sustain lives.

To scale its adoption, a focused ‘Green Renovation Mission’ with robust technical guidance and financial support is required to transition from policy to on ground implementation.

Final summary: India’s urban population is projected to hit 40 per cent by 2036, increasing electricity demand. To meet this, cities must adopt on-site clean energy. Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) tools like solar microgrids and EV chargers help. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BiPV) combine power generation with construction materials, easing grid stress and promoting sustainable, self-reliant urban development in space-constrained environments.