Final Project Report · Figure 8: BIPV installation (left) and PVsyst shading models (right)...

SUBMITTED BY: Internat Energy Solutions Canada Inc. Contact: Livio Nichilo, P.Eng, EPt(GHG) Engineering Manager

425 Adelaide St. West Suite 403A Toronto, Ontario M5A 1P5 tel – (416) 628-4658 x140 fax – 1-888-868-0960 email: [email protected] URL: www.internatenergy.com

Final Project Report

Implementation and Assessment of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) in the City of

Toronto

Toronto Atmospheric Fund

IESC Project # G0154 April 19, 2013

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.internatenergy.com/

Implementation and Assessment of BIPV in the City of Toronto Internat Energy Solutions Canada

IESC Project # G0154

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 2

FIGURES AND TABLES ............................................................................................................................................ 4

ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

DEFINING BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS (BIPV) ................................................................................... 6

POTENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF BIPV ..................................................................................................................................... 6

INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLES OF BIPV ................................................................................................................................ 10

THE CURRENT BIPV MARKET ......................................................................................................................................... 16

USE OF BIPV IN ONTARIO .............................................................................................................................................. 19

REFLECTION ON TORONTO’S BUILDING INDUSTRY .............................................................................................. 20

CURRENT TRENDS IN TORONTO BUILDING DESIGN .............................................................................................................. 20

THE EMERGENCE OF GREEN BUILDINGS ............................................................................................................................ 20

PROVIDING NEW MATERIALS TO DESIGNERS ..................................................................................................................... 22

TORONTO CASE STUDY: HARBOURFRONT CENTRE .............................................................................................. 23

ENWAVE THEATRE AT HARBOURFRONT CENTRE ................................................................................................................. 23

PREFEASIBILITY FOR BIPV AT THE ENWAVE THEATRE ........................................................................................................... 24

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY WITH ART ............................................................................................................................. 25

FINAL BIPV DESIGN AT ENWAVE THEATRE ........................................................................................................................ 26

NEW CONSTRUCTION VS. RETROFIT APPLICATIONS.............................................................................................................. 30

SYSTEM COMMISSIONING .............................................................................................................................................. 31

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 32

FINAL RESULTS AT ENWAVE THEATRE ............................................................................................................................... 33



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HARBOURFRONT CENTRE FEEDBACK ................................................................................................................................ 36

IMPACTS FROM SCALED UP BIPV ......................................................................................................................... 38

MAKING A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ................................................................................................................................. 38

PV Energy Production ......................................................................................................................................... 38

Energy Load Savings ............................................................................................................................................ 39

Building Mechanical System Downsizing ............................................................................................................ 40

Class 43.2 Capital Cost Allowance ....................................................................................................................... 40

High Performance New Construction ................................................................................................................. 41

GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACTS ........................................................................................................................................... 42

CURRENT BUSINESS CASE FOR BIPV ................................................................................................................................ 43

RECOMMENDATIONS TO GROW BIPV IN TORONTO ............................................................................................ 45

TRANSPARENCY OF BUILDING ENERGY USAGE .................................................................................................................... 45

HARDWARE CERTIFICATION AND STANDARDS ..................................................................................................................... 46

BIPV INCENTIVES ......................................................................................................................................................... 47

BUILDING INDUSTRY INTEGRATION................................................................................................................................... 50

BUILDING CODES .......................................................................................................................................................... 51

WORKS CITED ...................................................................................................................................................... 53

APPENDIX A: PREFEASIBLITY ................................................................................................................................ 59

FIGURE 1: AERIAL PHOTO SHOWING LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF THE ENWAVE THEATRE ...................................................... 59

APPENDIX B: SYSTEM DESIGN .............................................................................................................................. 66

APPENDIX C: COMMISSIONING ............................................................................................................................ 78

EXHIBIT 1: KACO WATCHDOG PERFORMANCE MONITORING CARD – PAGE 2 ........................................................................... 79

FIGURE 1: KACO’S BLUEPLANET WEBPORTAL INTERFACE ...................................................................................................... 80

FIGURE 2: WARNING LABELS ON THE INVERTER AND DISCONNECT DEVICES ............................................................................... 80



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FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Exterior Concept Photo ....................................12

Figure 2: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Interior of Station with Overhead BIPV .............12

Figure 3: BIPV Exterior Façade for Commercial Building in Köln, Germany ..............................13

Figure 4: BIPV used at MGTesys Meeting Room, Austria .........................................................14

Figure 5: DOWTM Solar POWERHOUSETM Shingles .................................................................15

Figure 6: Semi-transparent ObPV (left) and application of ObPV for the sunroof of a concept

smart vehicle (right) by BASF ....................................................................................................16

Figure 7: Visual of Energy Model from Design Builder developed for Enwave Theatre .............23

Figure 8: BIPV installation (left) and PVsyst shading models (right) ..........................................25

Figure 9: View of BIPV from interior (left) and artwork along the north façade (right) ................26

Figure 10: Demonstration of the interior building conditions prior to glazing change .................34

Figure 11: Demonstration of the interior building conditions post glazing change ......................34

Figure 12: Total monthly solar production from BIPV installation ...............................................35

Table 1: BIPV Suppliers and Products for Mass Production ......................................................17

Table 2: Comparison of technologies for BIPV showing their best performances to date (24) ...18

Table 3: Ontario Power Authority FIT Prices for Solar PV (2012-2013) (27) ..............................19

Table 4: Estimated properties of Heat Mirror® insulated glass ..................................................28

Table 5: Simulated energy savings and production as a result of glazing retrofit .......................36



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ABSTRACT

Renewable energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the Canadian and international

energy supply. Many forms of renewable energy have recently become common knowledge for

much of Ontario’s population due to significant policy introduction. However, other renewable

energy technologies remain that have not yet had the same levels of exposure. Building

integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is a new technology that allows for many innovative ways to

capture the sun’s energy for electricity generation while also performing the important functions

of standard building materials.

The building industry in Toronto has seen a high rate of development over the last several years

along with the increased use of glass for the building envelopes. The climatic conditions of the

region require a well-functioning barrier to the interior of a building in order to maintain

comfortable conditions at a reasonable expense to its occupants. As such, new building codes

and certification programs have been leading building development in a more “green” direction.

These and other conditions are resulting in a scenario whereby the use of new technologies

such BIPV are being viewed as a possible solutions.

A case study from the Harbourfront Centre demonstrated that an improved design and

integration of glazing into the overall building system can lead to significant energy and interior

comfort benefits. Understanding all of the important roles that the building skin will play in a

building’s performance and aesthetics will help justify why BIPV is a good investment for many

projects in the City of Toronto. To get to this point, however, there are numerous initiatives in

the area of education, training, policy and financial programs that need to be developed and

deployed. Integration of BIPV into the current structure of renewable energy project approvals

and incentive programs will not yield optimized results. Rather, it will hinder the growth of BIPV

technology in a region that appears to have a competitive advantage in leading its innovation.



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DEFINING BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS (BIPV)

Potential Importance of BIPV

There has been a clear and distinct move internationally in the last decade to investigate the

alternative ways energy is provided to power our lives. First implemented on a large scale in

Europe, various technologies that use the natural environment around us such as wind, solar,

geothermal, biomass, tidal and hydro power have started to make up the majority of newly

installed capacity in many parts of the world. In the United States, 2012 saw renewable energy

as the largest source of newly installed capacity to the electricity grid, and in 2013 it is poised to

be greater than all other sources combined (coal, natural gas, nuclear etc...) (1) (2). When this

is coupled with the increased international movement away from nuclear power (3) and more

stringent regulations on coal (4) (5), it is obvious that the energy sources of the future will look

very different than that of the previous century. Whether the reasons behind the shift are for

environmental factors or economic benefits, most likely a combination, the near future will be a

period of transition on many levels.

The switch of energy sources is not one that can be completed overnight. Using renewables as

the main source of power for a modern society does provide its own challenges that will be

identified in the exploration of a clean and sustainable energy economy. However, these

challenges will provide significant opportunity to drive innovation and transformation in the

habits of the people of these societies. Some of the challenges needed to be overcome with

renewables include:

Current upfront capital costs

Periodic supply and current high cost of energy storage

Efficient transfer of energy from one location to another



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Increased distributed sources of electricity instead of centralized mega power

plants

Changes in current government regulations and procedures

Education of the new technologies

Required experience and knowledge for proper industry support at all levels of

society

Solar photovoltaic energy has been one of the high growth industries during a difficult time of

economic instability following the financial crisis of 2008 (6). The expectation of using the Sun,

which is accessible to everyone, for our daily energy needs has always been an image of self-

sustainability that has caught the interest of many. However, the widespread integration and

usage of solar energy has been hindered and slowed by the financial structure of societies. For

over a century there has been no effective way to place a true cost to goods and services that

would release pollutants like greenhouse gasses that had long term negative effects on the

environment and economics. In addition, geopolitical action to secure fossil fuel networks were

never properly linked to the costs of these energy sources. This makes it difficult for some of

the environmental and social benefits of solar energy to be realized as a meaningful competitive

advantage when compared to traditional energy sources (7).

Supportive government policy has been a necessary tool for the recent increase in the adoption

of solar energy. The Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program, born from the Green Energy Act, is such a

policy in Ontario that provides a favourable price for energy that is created from renewable

sources. As we have seen through many examples of this policy development, the price that is

paid for electricity generated by renewable sources can be adjusted as the mass adoption of the

technology lowers capital costs for its implementation. The use of such policy can be a difficult

balancing act but can also be instrumental in the creation of a new energy network. The key

balance is providing pricing that is potentially profitable for the industry to continue growing but



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at the same time drive further price reductions through innovation. For over a decade, this

process has been successfully displayed in Germany (8).

In Ontario, the FIT was first introduced in 2009 and provides the pricing and opportunity for

essentially anyone to become a power producer with renewable electricity generation. The FIT

program is creating a local demand that has been filled by industry located primarily in Canada.

A local content rule for the projects that are eligible to receive the FIT pricing ensures that

manufacturing has taken place to some degree in Ontario and has attracted investment from

local and foreign companies (9).

For the long term success of the Ontario solar industry, it is necessary that manufacturers work

towards remaining competitive with other international competitors. Cost competitiveness is a

top priority in the identification of successful manufacturers as the industry begins to consolidate

and mature. Reliability and quality of the products have advanced significantly over the last

decade and will always play a role in increasing public confidence in the technology. However,

in the solar industry, disruptive and incremental innovation is necessary to ensure it is a

technology that can improve its competitive advantage over other energy sources. This can be

innovation in the manufacturing processes, financing options, material selection and also

implementation strategies.

One such technology breakthrough that is poised to make its mark on the industry is Building

Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). Internationally, BIPV is on a strong growth path and it will be a

significant market in the future of energy production. It is estimated that, globally, new

installation capacity can top 4.6 GW by 2017 and become one of the fastest growing sectors of

the solar industry (10). Previous studies by the Canadian institution CanmetENERGY show that

BIPV has the potential to provide a significant share of the electricity needs on the residential

side and, to a lesser degree, the electricity used in commercial and institutional buildings (11).

It is clear that a plan should be developed to build a long term competitive local industry in

Ontario and find ways to drive participation in this sector of the market.



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BIPV provides several advantages over the conventional use of photovoltaics (PV). Both are

better defined in the following section but these advantages include:

Generation of electricity directly at the source of use and at peak times of need which

reduce transmission losses enabling the electrical grid to be more efficient;

Integration with the buildings’ structural, functional and aesthetic properties allow for the

BIPV costs to be partially offset by the existing costs of the building construction.

Therefore, only a minimal incremental investment for the energy production is required;

Drive innovation and improve the range of selection for building systems like curtain wall

glazing, spandrel panels and even blinds that are increasingly being used in today’s

building construction;

Increase the aesthetic appeal of buildings;

Reduce GHG emissions in the overall lifecycle building performance;

Allow for energy production to be more visible to users in buildings and to help bring a

higher appreciation and understanding of solar energy production and usage;

Take advantage of building surface area from new construction or existing buildings to

increase clean and renewable energy supply (especially during peak demand hours).

In a temperate climate such as Toronto, in which extreme hot and cold weather are

experienced, some fundamental questions arise on how our buildings should be designed to

reduce energy usage. In fact, Toronto is currently developing a larger number of skyscrapers

than any other city in North America - nearly as many as all the other cities combined (12).

Many of these buildings are being constructed with highly glazed envelopes which, when

designed at minimal cost, are generally poor energy performers. An increased implementation

of BIPV could further encourage the use of glazing but, in the document to follow, it is the goal

to show that there are many forms of BIPV that can help with overall building energy



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performance and be a driving factor for the responsible deployment of building glazing in

locations such as Toronto.

This report will also present the innovative case study of BIPV implemented at the Enwave

Theatre which is part of the Harbourfront Centre located at the Toronto Waterfront. The case

study provides guidance on how to further develop for the technology for effective

implementation using the lessons learned from this project. Initially, it will be necessary to

create a picture of what BIPV actually is and try to define this technology in a manner that

includes its most fundamental characteristics at this time. However, we must understand that

the technology is very much still in a stage of defining by the innovations that are coming.

International Examples of BIPV

The development of BIPV around the world has led to several different applications that have

widened the definition of the technology. For the purpose of the report, BIPV will be defined as

a functional part of a building’s normal façade that also provides the ability to produce energy

through the absorption of natural light. This means that the solar production is not the sole

requirement for the usage of the electricity generating material but it has equal if not more

important roles to play in the building structure or envelope function. This would exclude the

typical installations of solar PV that is seen in Ontario where panels are mounting to the roof

(either parallel or on an angle) of a building offset from the actual weather resistant barrier.

This definition however does leave a lot to be interpreted and can still prove to be difficult for the

industry to use in trying to explain and classify the many hardware technologies that exist. A

more complete breakdown of the BIPV design strategies and classification of the technologies

that exist include the following from DETAIL Practice Series, Photovoltaics (13):

Subjugation: Installations that are placed on or in front of a building without any architectural

goals and whose sole task is to produce electricity.



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Domination: When the solar technology has a decisive effect on the design of a new

building, i.e, its orientation with respect to the sun, its volume and configuration of the

building envelope.

Integration: An integrated PV installation is in harmony with the building. The solar panels

supply not only the electricity required for running the building, but also satisfy architectural

and other functions of the building envelope e.g. protection from the weather, sun shading.

Subordination: If the solar electricity system is hardly apparent because of its shape and

size, its position with respect to the observer and public spaces, or its colour, its plays a

subordinate role, and the building itself dominates e.g. for heritage buildings, solar blinds.

Imitation: The imitating PV system tries to copy traditional forms of construction, replace

their functions and at the same time add active solar layers e.g. solar roof tiles.

Case studies of BIPV are growing around the world and are inspiring the next generation of

solar energy innovation. One such project that shows the potential size and beauty of BIPV is

perfectly represented at the Shanghai Hongqiao Rail Station. This 6.6 MW (20,000 solar

panels) capacity solar project functions not only to generate a significant amount of electricity

but also works as part of the building’s overhead shelter for those passengers underneath at the

loading platforms and in the main station terminals (14). Figure One and Two illustrate the

massive scale of the installation.

On a smaller scale in an urban setting, Figure Three shows how the exterior façade is created

with the BIPV for a clothing department store. The exterior of the building defines the store with

relation to the other buildings on the commercial walkway and at the same time is a producer of

electricity. In this case the cost of the BIPV would be treated as an incremental cost since it

has replaced the use of another material used for the building’s exterior image.



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Figure 1: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Exterior Concept Photo

Figure 2: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Interior of Station with Overhead BIPV



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Figure 3: BIPV Exterior Façade for Commercial Building in Köln, Germany

One of the main advantages of BIPV is the allowance for various degrees of natural lighting to

penetrate the interior of a room that use the BIPV material as a main façade. As exemplified in

Figure Four, office space can provide an opportunity to bring day light into the room and still

provide separation from the exterior environment and weather. The density of the solar cells

can be adjusted to vary the amount of light penetration. It is known that standard glazing for

buildings is not a thermally efficient material for building envelopes (15). Typical glazing does

not provide a sufficient barrier to thermal losses in the winter time and solar heat gains in the

summer time. These issues played an important part in the design of the glazing in the

Harbourfront Centre case study that is described in a later section of the report.



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Figure 4: BIPV used at MGTesys Meeting Room, Austria

Innovation in BIPV is just beginning to show the true potential range of applications for the

technology. In 2010, DOWTM Chemicals revealed the POWERHOUSETM Solar Shingle that can

be added to typical North American residential roofs. The product resembles a typical shingle in

appearance and function as it also protects the roof from weathering. Installation also occurs in

very similar manner to current shingling but with the added electrical connection required for

integration into the house. Several products for various types of roofing exist around the world

including those for historic structures (16).



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Figure 5: DOWTM

Solar POWERHOUSETM

Shingles

A recent project in Chicago being completed at the historic Willis Tower (a.k.a. Sear Tower) is

looking to utilize a technology from Pythagoras Solar. Instead of having solar cells positioned

perpendicular to the oncoming sunlight, the Pythagoras technology uses glass to redirect

sunlight onto the horizontal PV shelves that are part of the glazing structure. This allows for a

greater amount of natural light to pass through.

Organic-based photovoltaics (ObPV) have also started to have an impact within the BIPV

industry. Konarka® has developed a commercially available line of conductive polymers and

organic nano-engineered materials to be used for a wide variety of BIPV applications including

window shades. The material is flexible, semi-transparent and bound to find more applications

in the future (17). BASF has also developed a line of semi-transparent ObPV products which

absorb light selectively so that materials can be made with specific colours offering various

aesthetically appealing options (18).



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Figure 6: Semi-transparent ObPV (left) and application of ObPV for the sunroof of a concept smart vehicle (right) by BASF

The Current BIPV Market

Due to variations in the exact definition of BIPV, it is difficult to accurately understand the

current global market of the technology. A recent article from Renewable Energy World

reported that the cumulative capacity in 2010 was estimated at 1.2 GW (18). Regardless of the

final numbers it is clear that it makes BIPV a very small part of the total PV capacity estimated

to be about 40 GW at this same time (20). However, strong growth is expected in the coming

years as certain incentive programs in Europe have specifically identified BIPV for elevated rate

payment levels. The FIT in both Italy and France are examples for which BIPV or innovative

installations have been given more favorable pricing for the energy that is produced from these

types of installation. The aesthetics of building and PV integration is a topic of high priority

within these countries and has resulted in the special FIT rates that can be between 30-60%

higher in Italy then the non BIPV installations (21). Analysts at NanoMarkets predict Europe to

continue to be the largest market for BIPV in the near future and the global industry to be worth

$4.2 billion by 2015 (22).

Similar incentives are now seen in China for a select number of projects. Viewed as what can

be the largest emerging market for BIPV, the Chinese Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of



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Housing and Urban-Rural Development are co-sponsoring the Golden Sun program. This is the

most important energy initiative currently in China and offers a 50% subsidy for modules and

inverter costs (14). As China moves on to their 12th five year plan (2011-2015), the excitement

is high for the BIPV industry in China as it is preferred in the national incentive program (23).

Within the BIPV industry there are several suppliers that do have expertise in mass production

and are poised to take advantage of the industry’s positive forecast. Table 1 below lists those

current suppliers found through industry research but will be constantly evolving given the state

of the industry’s maturity. Custom-made BIPV suppliers do exist and account for the majority of

projects that have been carried out to date. Additional production-level BIPV manufacturers

may exist but, as adoption of the technology has been limited, the volumes for other market

players are not very significant.

Supplier Product Solar Technology Application

Suntech Power Just Roof™ Light

Thru™

Monocrystalline Silicon Facades, Glazing, Roofing

Sunpower Suntile Monocrystalline Silicon Roofing

Wurth Solar STARfix III,

ARTline

CIS Sloping Roof, Curtain Wall,

Facades

Sharp ND-62RU Monocrystalline Silicon Roofing

Solarmer Energy XPVTM

Organic PV Windows, Skylights, Tiles

DOW Solar PowerHouse™ CIGS Roofing

Skyshades XPV™ Organic PV Shading

Pythagoras Solar PVGU Crystalline Silicon with

prismatic optics

Windows

Asecnt Solar waveSOL™ CIGS Roofing, Shades

Lumeta PowerPly™ Monocrystalline Silicon Roofing

PowerFilm Solar PowerFilm Monolithically integrated

silicon

Architectural Fabrics, Roofing,

Membrane Roofing

Table 1: BIPV Suppliers and Products for Mass Production



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Prices for the various products depend on the type of technology used. In the solar industry,

costs are usually provided on a per watt capacity basis. It was very difficult to find costs that are

representative of the BIPV industry at this time since the products differ greatly between

manufacturers and it is still early in the development phase to quote prices for a typical product.

BIPV, similar to typical glazing for buildings, are normally made to a custom size and not

generic configurations like other renewable energy hardware that can even allow it to be

compared with competitors. Each example of BIPV will show a different quality of glass and

coatings, various densities of electricity production and require different aesthetic solutions.

There is no such standard design that exists for BIPV at this time and it is expected to be

designed with the flexibility to meet the building needs. As a result, costs on a per Watt bases

can range from $10 to even $100 US at this time. These costs are expected to dramatically

reduce in the coming years as more manufactures in different parts of the world become

comfortable with the manufacturing processes of BIPV for efficient production. Table 2 below

provides a look at the current costs for PV modules for the various technologies. Although the

costs associated with BIPV would be significantly higher it must be realized that incremental

costs should be used in any cost versus benefit analysis since the BIPV product would be

replacing an existing building material.

Technology

Segment Mono Multi Cu(In,Ga)Se2 CdTe a-SI:H DSC ObPV

Efficiency 25% 20.4% 20.3% 17.3% 12.5% 11.1% 8.1%

Cost

US$/Watt 0.9-1.2 0.7-1.1 1-1.6 0.6-0.7 1.5-2 3-4 3-4

Stage of

Development Commercial Commercial Commercial Commercial Introduction Development Development

Table 2: Comparison of technologies for BIPV showing their best performances to date (24)



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Use of BIPV in Ontario

BIPV, as defined in this report, is not yet used in Ontario aside from a few smaller sample

projects (one of which will be described further on in this report). Much attention has been

placed on increasing the uptake of the technology in the local market by utilizing the existing

Ontario FIT program that provides a price for every kWh that is generated and fed to the

provincial electricity grid (25) (26). At the time of writing, these tariff prices were under review

for the second time and will be adjusted to reflect the reduced costs of a more mature PV

industry. This review comes four years after the program’s initiation which has sparked an

industry that hardly existed prior to the policy changes. In the latest FIT program review there

was a directive for a BIPV pilot program to be developed under the program. The current rates

that are offered for PV systems under the Ontario FIT are listed in Table 3 below.

System

Size ≤ 10kW >10kW≤100kW >100kW≤500kW >500kW

Contract

Price

CDN$/kWh

0.549 0.548 0.539

0.487

Table 3: Ontario Power Authority FIT Prices for Solar PV (2012-2013) (27)

However, in Ontario, the FIT prices only apply to those projects that use a certain percentage of

local content. The content is scored out of 100% with portions of the system allocated certain

points to meet the threshold. The local content rule was intended to encourage a local PV

industry to begin establishing itself with both internal and outside investment (27). Rules such

as these under the current FIT program can be seen as an obstacle to the effective deployment

of BIPV in Ontario. Although it would seem natural and simple to group BIPV under the current

FIT rules to help its adoption within the building industry, programs and policies that are more

suitable for BIPV should be explored. BIPV rates in European FIT programs were derived

under different realities of the local building environment that would not transfer well to Ontario.



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Strong, effective policy will be required to encourage the development of BIPV technology and

create an internationally recognized industry in Ontario.

REFLECTION ON TORONTO’S BUILDING INDUSTRY

Current Trends in Toronto Building Design

It is hard not to notice the significant amount of high-rise building construction that is occurring

in Toronto at this time of writing. As previously mentioned, approximately half of all the new

high-rise development on the continent is currently taking place in the City of Toronto. Through

a closer look at the buildings under construction or that have been completed in the last several

years, it is clear there is one shared characteristic between nearly all of them: a majority of the

external building envelope is comprised of glass. Even the older buildings up for retrofits are

being re-skinned with a large amount of glass added to their exteriors. Although driven by

several factors such as aesthetics and low construction costs, there is a growing concern that

the glass envelopes of these buildings will incur major problems in the years to come (28).

These concerns include water penetration from failed seals, increasing energy and maintenance

costs as well as a declining resale potential.

The Emergence of Green Buildings

Over the last few years, the North American building industry has attempted to start addressing

the issues associated with excessively glazed buildings. Initially, the response involved the

development of building certification programs administered through organizations that were

directed by a council of building industry exports. The best example of this is the U.S Green

Building Council and its development of the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design) rating system. In order to achieve LEED certification, the program sets benchmarks for

various categories to promote greener, higher performing buildings: reduced operating costs,



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reduced waste, energy and water conservation, improved health and safety of occupants, and

reduced GHG emissions. Indeed, a dramatic shift is occurring throughout most of the world. By

2015, over 60 percent of respondents from 60 countries envision their building projects striving

to be green. This is an increase from 28 percent for 2013 and 13 percent in 2008. Much of this

improvement is being driven by industry wanting to “do the right thing” but also by client demand

(29).

The adapted version of LEED® for Canada has seen steadily increasing adoption rates. In

Ontario, the number of LEED® registered buildings has grown from about 50 in 2005 to 400 in

2010 and over 600 in 2012 (30). Along with the voluntary implementation of the building

certification programs, there have been significant changes on the regulatory side as well. The

most notable have been the changes to the Ontario Building Code and the creation of the

Toronto Green Standard. Both mandatory regulations from the provincial and municipal level

governments have been attempts to address the performance of all new construction buildings.

In particular, of importance with respect to the glass used for building envelopes, there have

been new energy efficiency requirements set for buildings to meet as part of the permitting

process. The energy efficiency targets mandated by the new codes and standards will not

prevent highly glazed buildings from being constructed but do require that the building systems

(mechanical, hot water, lighting etc..) make up for part of the glass envelope’s poor energy

efficiency. Further revisions are expected in the years to follow.

This emphasis on energy efficiency is particularly important in the downtown Toronto region

where the electrical loads of all the new constructions are straining the internal electricity

network to the point where significant infrastructure will be needed to support the new facilities.

Couple this with the anticipated adoption of electrical vehicles (EV) and the need for distributed

electricity generation within these urban locations is evident.



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Providing New Materials to Designers

Glass windows and walls provide the opportunity for increased natural day lighting of building

interiors which is generally viewed as a positive quality of envelope materials. Glass provides

architects with significant flexibility in the structure’s appearance and feel. It can be made into

different colours with various degrees of transparency in an unlimited number of shapes and

sizes. It also allows for the individual inside the building to feel more connected to the outside

environment as views are maximized. However, in many cases, these benefits may not be

worth the negatives of reduced thermal comfort and energy efficiency, especially in climates

such as Toronto’s.

Nevertheless, these advantages have led building designers to employ glass on a large scale

and are expected to result in the continued use of the glass envelopes to a degree that harms

the energy consumption levels of buildings. As a result, the door has opened for innovations

such as BIPV that can incorporate some of the positive attributes of traditional glazing but

reduce or even neutralize its negative properties. First, BIPV can generate electricity during a

portion of the day that can be used to offset the needs of the buildings’ internal systems at those

times. Depending on the size and type of the building, the amount of energy produced can be

significant. Second, a well-designed BIPV unit can enhance the insulating properties of the

glass to improve thermal performance. It is also possible that BIPV products may improve the

durability and reliability of standard glass panels in order to extend building envelope lifetimes

and reduce long-term maintenance. Addressing these issues in new design will most likely

occur as the technology matures and professionals are given the time to address them.

However, Toronto appears to offer the ideal conditions for the development and adoption of

BIPV due to its high number of construction projects, development of new building performance

standards and the need for local urban electricity generation.



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TORONTO CASE STUDY: HARBOURFRONT CENTRE

Enwave Theatre at Harbourfront Centre

In 2010, a unique opportunity to implement and assess the performance of a BIPV installation

became available. The Enwave Theatre at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre provided this unique

opportunity to design and implement such a project and begin defining a new concept for the

building industry. The project resulted from a need to improve the interior conditions and

thermal comfort within the Enwave Theatre. Temperature fluctuations throughout the day in the

winter and summer easily reached double digits. This also created significant humidity changes

that which had negative effects on the theatre’s performance equipment.

As the analysis was carried out with analytical tools such as Design Builder (EnergyPlus solver)

and PVsyst, the idea of including BIPV as part of the building’s re-glazing became an option.

Solely, a traditional cost-benefit analysis would not justify the project. The project needed to be

leveraged for its first of a kind design, aesthetics and the potential to share with others the

experience gained from the implementation. When bringing all these factors together it then

became a reality to move forward with the design.

Figure 7: Visual of Energy Model from Design Builder developed for Enwave Theatre



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Prefeasibility for BIPV at the Enwave Theatre

A suitable location and building envelope application were required to pursue the BIPV

installation. Fortunately, the Harbourfront Centre and the Enwave Theatre are located directly

on Toronto’s waterfront. There are no large buildings or shading obstructions located south of

the property; therefore it constituted a suitable location for the BIPV system. In addition, the

theatre was constructed with a glass envelope around the north, east and west facades (App. 1,

Fig.1). The useful life for the glass facade had been exceeded and a full glazing replacement

was required.

A small portion of the west slanted glass roof section was identified as appropriate for BIPV

application. The west facade is the only section of the glass envelope which has significant

exposure to the south; thus it presented the ideal location for the array. In the northern

hemisphere solar PV installations must generally face as close to due south (0°) as possible in

order to maximize electricity production. The array faced west southwest at an angle of 75°

which is far from ideal but still manageable. Furthermore, the west slanted glass roof section of

the building experienced minimal shading impact. Shade casted on a PV cell can potentially

decrease electricity production of the entire array and is not desired for any PV installation.

The tilt of the slanted glass roof is 45° from horizontal. Again, this is not the ideal arrangement

for a PV installation but a constraint of the building construction. Odd window shapes and ice

dams located on the lower windows prevented replacing the entire west slanted glass roof with

BIPV panels. For simplicity, a group of ten identically sized windows were selected for BIPV

replacement on the surface (App. 1, Fig. 2). The total area was calculated from building

drawings as 19.5 m2.



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Figure 8: BIPV installation (left) and PVsyst shading models (right)

Given the manufacturer’s performance test specifications, the array surface was modelled in

PVsyst and a performance simulation was conducted (App. 1, Ex. 1). As this was clearly a

demonstration project, which would not qualify under domestic content rules of the microFIT

program, no detailed financial modelling was completed for this particular simulation. However,

a simplified RETScreen financial model was completed using generic data to gauge the

financial commitment required to complete the project (App.1, Ex. 2). It was decided at this

point that the system would be designed with no energy storage equipment. Additional energy

storage equipment was deemed impractical given the low amount of electricity production and

the cost prohibitive nature of storage devices in this particular application. It was decided that a

net-metered system directly serving the building’s load would be sufficient and not a revenue

generating system such as those defined in the FIT program.

Integrating Technology with Art

A final yet extremely important part of the innovative glazing was its ability to reflect the

characteristics of the building it was being placed on. Sarah Hall, a local Canadian artist, along

with the specialized techniques of Glasmalerei Peters Studio in Germany were able to create

within the glazing a permanent art piece called Watermark that would wrap the Theatre. The



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artwork and innovative properties of the glazing were designed to complement each other in

demonstrating the beauty that is possible with efficient, energy producing building skins.

Figure 9: View of BIPV from interior (left) and artwork along the north façade (right)

Final BIPV Design at Enwave Theatre

Detailed Design

Prior to installation a single line diagram for the system was produced and provided to Toronto

Hydro for approval (App. 2, Fig. 1). The diagram is important to provide the utility with a visual

plan of the proposed BIPV system and how it will interact with the electrical grid. IESC and

Fitzpatrick Electric staff collaborated to complete the single line diagram.

Ten building integrated PV panels rated at 156 watts and manufactured in Germany by

Glasmalerei Peters GmbH were installed into a portion of the building’s glazed structural

enclosure on the west slanted glass roof section (App. 2, Fig. 2). The overall system capacity

was approximately 1.56 kW DC. The entire glazed structural enclosure was retrofitted to

display artistic scheme and used specialized thermal energy saving glass, including the BIPV

portions of the glazing. Panel performance was warranted for 90% performance after 10 years

and 80% performance after 20 years.



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Each panel contains 42 solar cells of Sunways Solar Cells Mono156 AH508200F (App. 2, Ex. 1)

which are wired together as 14 cells in series over 3 parallel rows (App. 2, Fig. 3). The panels

are electrically connected in series using Tyco Electronics – Solarlok Straddle Edge Connector

(App. 2, Fig. 4). A test report was provided by the manufacturer indicating the outcome of flash

testing of the ten panels (App. 2, Ex.2).

The DC current generated by the ten panel array was converter to AC current through one Kaco

inverter model 1502xi (App. 2, Ex. 3) warranted for 10 years and configured for maximum power

point tracking. This means the inverter is arranged to optimize the amount of power produced

by the array by matching voltage with current. The electrical current conversion is necessary to

match the electricity with the service provided to the building by the local utility. The AC output

from the inverter was directly connected to a service panel located in the building’s electrical

room. This panel houses and provides electricity to the circuits for external scroll display

lighting and signage. The BIPV electrical production will displace a small portion of building

load and supply AC power to existing Enwave Theatre building electrical systems.

The inverter was mounted to an aesthetically pleasing wooden board offset from the wall. Also

mounted to the board were the DC and AC disconnect devices which were required by

Electrical Safety Authority and Toronto Hydro (App. 2, Fig. 5). The disconnect devices are

approved by the Canadian Standards Association. The system cabling around the inverter and

disconnects was strategically located behind the board for visual purposes. For an additional

degree of safety, an externally located AC disconnect was installed as a requirement of Toronto

Hydro (App. 2, Fig. 6).

Based on climate considerations for Toronto, it was necessary to have a new glazing design

that would address the Enwave Theatre’s issues for both extreme winter and summer

conditions. Heat Mirror® film technology was employed to provide both the solar heat gain

reducing and insulating properties needed to provide a net energy benefit to the building all year



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around. Two different Heat Mirror® films were used for the sloped glazing and vertical curtains.

The optimal combination was found through modelling of the various film options.

Glass Type A (TC 88) for Vertical Curtain Glazing

Overall Width 1” R-Value 7.14

Exterior Lite 5mm Clear Tempered U-Value 0.14

Gas Fill Krypton ShGCc 0.49

Film Heat Mirror TC88 SCc 0.57

Gas Fill Krypton Vtc 0.65

Interior Lite 5mm Clear Tempered RHG 116.15

Glass Type B (SC 75) for Sloped Glazing

Overall Width 1” R-Value 8.33

Exterior Lite 5mm LoE Tempered U-Value 0.12

Gas Fill Krypton ShGCc 0.27

Film Heat Mirror SC75 SCc 0.31

Gas Fill Krypton Vtc 0.53

Interior Lite 5mm Clear Tempered RHG 63.79

Table 4: Estimated properties of Heat Mirror® insulated glass

Design and Installation Issues

One major technical issue was encountered in the design portion of the project. It occurred in

respect of the connectors selected adjoin the BIPV panels. The Ontario Electric Code requires

that the connector be UL/CSA approved. Some of the required tests constituting the UL/CSA

standard were not applicable to BIPV design; thus, more leeway should be granted by a safety

inspector. The BIPV array assembly will have no wires or electrical connectors protruding from

the building frame; the connectors are certified to IEC (TUV) standards.

An additional system design issue was encountered during the selection of the supporting

hardware. Typical CSA approved inverters are generally larger than the specified system.

Finding and evaluating a reasonably priced locally sourced 1.5 kW inverter with monitoring



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capabilities, good technical support, and quick delivery time was a challenge. Moreover, the

inverter’s performance specifications were required to match the expected voltage output of the

BIPV array which further refined the selection process. Eventually the KACO 1502 xi was

selected and obtained.

The final design issue concerned required DC and AC disconnects, array grounding and

inverter mounting. The Electrical Safety Authority required disconnects for both the DC and AC

sides of the inverter. In addition Toronto Hydro also required their own external AC disconnect

for their use as shown in Figure Five. An ESA representative inspected the solar array and

required it to be separately grounded with two exclusive cables to the inverter’s grounding point.

Harbourfront Centre desired an aesthetic wooden wall piece which the inverter hardware would

be mounted to. The goal was to make the installation more visually appealing to its visitors. All

solutions were realized through a collaborative effort between Internat Energy Solutions Canada

and the on-site electrician contractor.

Gathering necessary information from Toronto Hydro was a challenge when completing the

BIPV installation. There are distinct rules, such as installing an external AC disconnect, which

must be followed to meet connection requirements. However, corresponding with Toronto

Hydro was cumbersome and resulted in slight delays regarding the procedures which were

required to appease its rules. One cause of the issue was their unfamiliarity with BIPV

technology, which caused confusion regarding system impacts and required assessments. In

the end, due the small size of the system, the potential to cause damage to the Toronto Hydro

grid was very small.

Installation of the BIPV array and supporting hardware was originally expected by the end of

March 2011 in accordance with the construction schedule. This would have been in line with

the implementation timeline that was given in the original proposal for the Toronto Atmospheric

Fund. However, delays in Germany regarding the manufacturing process and testing delayed

the selection of auxiliary equipment and thus system design.



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Furthermore, the original shipment which eventually arrived in April was unpacked and revealed

nine of the ten BIPV panels damaged beyond repair due to a shipping mishap (App. 2, Fig. 7).

Insurance claims, investigation, and possible litigation ensued. The BIPV manufacturer was

required to complete a second production run for the nine damaged panels.

New Construction vs. Retrofit Applications

In the case of the project completed at Harbourfront Centre, the design was to retrofit an

existing building. In looking to complete a similar functioning BIPV project for a new

construction there are some variations that need to be considered. For instance, in a new

construction project the framing system can be better designed around the BIPV hardware.

This is expected to reduce the complexity of the installation at the site of installation. In working

on a new construction, it is expected that the surrounding area would be less developed then

where an existing building would be located for a retrofit. This is significant as future

construction in the surrounding area might have an effect on the direct solar exposure to the

building and reduce the performance of the solar generation.

Another consideration when working with a new construction is all of the building electricity

loads are theoretical at the time of design. This would make it more difficult to work with a Local

Distribution Company for the possible onsite use of the electricity generated. Since the

experience with the technology is limited at this time it will require significant work with the ESA

to review the design concepts prior to any installation.

With completing the design and installation for a retrofit building the main complication is not

having access or difficulties in running the supporting wiring and hardware to have the electricity

connected to the building systems. In dealing with a new construction, the supporting hardware

can be planned for and installed before final ceiling or walls are installed and proper sizing in

electrical cabinets can be made. The costs of these issues to overcome in an existing building



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may add a significant complication to justifying its inclusion. With a new construction these

issues can be eliminated all together.

System Commissioning

The inverter was outfitted with an optional Kaco watchDOG card (App. 3, Ex. 1) which enables a

performance monitoring system for web based reporting on Kaco’s blueplanet webportal (App.3,

Fig. 1 ) Beyond technical data supplied by the system owner, the watchDOG card reports

system production instantaneously in kilowatt hours and also logs the historical performance of

the system. The performance monitoring system enables Harbourfront Centre to assess the

actual productivity of its system against the simulated performance modelled in PVsyst. Once

enough historical data has been logged by the watchDOG, monthly performance can be

compared to the predictions in PVsyst. A large deviation would indicate a problem with the

system worth investigating. In addition, over time historical data can be used to determine if the

system’s performance is degrading quicker than expected.

The production value can be calculated through a variety of filters to produce other meaningful

metrics which are then displayed on the portal. For instance electrical savings, avoided

greenhouse gas emissions, and equivalent energy loads are available for viewing on the portal.

The webportal can also be customized with system images and details regarding its location

and array setup.

The performance monitoring system also acts as an early detection mechanism for certain

maintenance issues experienced by the BIPV system. This means that by comparing actual

electricity production versus expected production on a given day can help diagnose whether or

not the system requires maintenance. One example would be the situation where the BIPV

panels were dirty on the external surface which would adversely affect system performance.

This can be diagnosed from the performance data to indicate the panels require cleaning to

allow the sunlight to easily transmit through the glass and onto the solar cell.



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The electrical installation was primarily conducted by Fitzpatrick Electric. A system inspection

was arranged by Fitzpatrick Electric and performed by ESA. It resulted in the additional

grounding requirements for the array and detailed warning labelling on the disconnect devices

and inverter to further ensure safety (App. 3, Fig. 2). After the installation was completed,

Fitzpatrick Electric conducted its final commissioning and the system was connected. IESC

then configured the inverter to match the service provided by Toronto Hydro in order for the

system to produce electricity which would supplement the building’s energy load.

Community Engagement

To promote the re-skinning of the Enwave theatre we have engaged a major sponsor, in

Enwave Energy Corporation, who supported the wrapping of the building in world-class

artwork. This has transformed the building into a stunning example of how art and sustainable

design can be combined, consistent with Harbourfront Centre’s artistic integrity and

mandate. Programmable, colour-changing LED lighting technology will be added to the building

further enhancing the visual appeal and prominence of the building. The completion of the new

Enwave theatre will be marked with a special launch event hosted by the Minister of Finance

and Harbourfront Centre. The occasion is tentatively scheduled to take place in mid-

October. In addition, didactic displays will be erected both within and outside the building

providing the public with information on the features of the new building envelope. Enwave

Energy Corporation was recently recognized for their innovative support of this re-skinning

project with a Business for the Arts Award in the category of Best Entrepreneurial

Partnership. The Enwave was also nominated for recognition through the Zerofootprint Re-

skinning Awards; the winners are not yet known.

An all-staff event was recently held to internally launch the Enwave during which Harbourfront

CEO, Bill Boyle, and world renown artist who designed ‘Waterglass’ (which now wraps the

building), Sarah Hall, spoke about the project. A reception was held in the lobby where staff



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members were able to see the results up close. Harbourfront Centre’s Camps and Educational

Programs department has now incorporated curriculum focused on the Enwave Theatre into

four existing programs that each have some focus on building and/or the environment. This

group is now in the process of building a standalone school visits program that will focus

exclusively on the Enwave Theatre. Industry-related educational efforts have also been

undertaken through participation in a Community Energy Partnerships Program (CEPP) webinar

focused on community renewable energy projects and an Ontario Sustainable Energy

Association webinar focused on the future of solar energy in Ontario. The success of

Harbourfront Centre contribution of expertise on BIPV technology has prompted OSEA to

design and schedule another webinar focused exclusively on building-integrated photovoltaic

technologies for January 2012. This type of knowledge-sharing activity and public outreach will

expand considerably once the building is officially launched.

Final Results at Enwave Theatre

Internal thermal comfort and humidity conditions improvements

In order to understand the impact of the new glazing alone on the building conditions, several

data loggers were used within the theatre prior to and after the installation of the new glazing.

The data logger would measure the internal temperature, humidity and luminance for different

locations within the building. For much of the summer time, spaces in the building adjacent to

the glazed building envelope were not usable due to the extreme thermal conditions exhibited.

An example is illustrated below for a sunny and relatively warm summer day in 2009. The

internal temperatures were observed peaking at close to 40˚C and dropping to 20˚C in the

evening. Humidity levels inside the building would also show this dramatic shift throughout the

day.



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Figure 10: Demonstration of the interior building conditions prior to glazing change

Once the glazing was changed, the same measurements were taken on a similar day in 2011.

The results showed a dramatic reduction in the extreme conditions within the building.

Figure 11: Demonstration of the interior building conditions post glazing change

The BIPV glazing has performed as expected throughout its first year. It is expected that its

annual solar electricity production will exceed predicted amounts once local construction of a

new public square is completed. The dust-filled local environment is suspected to be the main

contributor towards the lower levels of production during peak production months.



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Figure 12: Total monthly solar production from BIPV installation

Energy efficiency

The changing of the glazing on the Enwave Theatre was one important part of the overall

energy efficiency plan developed for the building. This also included the re-sizing and

installation of efficient boilers and a more integrated controls system to complement the building

automated systems (BAS). Table 5 summarizes the energy savings and electricity reduction

based on the building energy model. These results represent a conservative forecast with total

electricity savings expected to grow with the implementation of a number of planned energy

efficiency measures. On a thirty year life cycle bases, which takes into consideration

degradation, the total GHG emission reduction from the new glazing retrofit will be 567 tonnes

of CO2.

Utility usage of the building prior to the installation of the system was difficult to obtain

accurately due to the metering for the facility and neighbouring buildings. This makes it difficult

to conclusively determine the actual vs the predicted utility savings but newly installed metering

will allow for some more accurate estimates to be made. On the side of solar production, the

actual electricity production for 2012 was seen to be 1,451kWh, which matched closely with the

modeled results.



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Percent Savings

Absolute Value Savings

CO2 Savings Annual Cost Savings (2011

Rates)

Expected Electrical Savings

6% 28,000 kWh 4,620 kg $3,154 CDN

Expected Natural Gas Savings

11% 10,600 m3 20,045 kg $5,832 CDN

Clean Energy Production

0.40% 1,477 KWh 244 kg $165 CDN

Table 5: Simulated energy savings and production as a result of glazing retrofit

Harbourfront Centre Feedback

Once the project at the Enwave Theatre was completed there was an effort made to solicit

feedback from various stockholders for the projects over all results. The project has already

received the attention of various media and academic sources for its innovation and

appearance. Some examples include; featured on the cover of the 2013 CanSIA industry

directory, featured at an event for the Canadian Green Building Council Emerging Green

Builders, presented in the article from magazines like Glass Canada and SABMag, article in

Toronto Star, paper presented at the world Energy Forum for Solar Building Skins in Italy and

has been recognized awards. The attention of the project by these groups demonstrates the

impact value of the results and the appeal to the technology along with the artwork. It is

expected that this attention will grow in the coming summer as the construction around the

building is completed and a new public square will surround the once hidden building. In

addition, the lighting of the artwork in the evening will further highlight this project at night.

The feedback from staff at Harbourfront Centre has been exceptional also. Once the project

was completed there was a gathering in the Enwave for the employees where they were shown

the project and allowed to ask questions. The event allowed for many of the participants to

comment on the improved appearance of the building along with the significantly better internal



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comfort conditions. These are two themes that have resonated from everyone that has been

given the opportunity to experience the Enwave Theatre before and after the retrofits. Some

see the project as an opportunity to inspire more internal action for energy management and

GHG reductions.

Some of the particular feedback that was taken back from a survey that was distributed to

Harbourfront Centre employees presented a very positive response to the project. It was

communicated that the project was a positive reflection on Harbourfront Centre to its visitors but

also its financial donators and sponsors and would be helpful to promote Harbourfront Centre

with those organizations with high corporate responsibility goals. Others liked how the project

demonstrated Harbourfront Centre as remaining an innovator along the development of the

Toronto waterfront and not taking a back seat to other projects in the area. Finally others

thought that the projected reflected on the organization as an innovative contributor to the sector

of sustainability ecological issues.

Since there are many children camps that occur during the year at Harbourfront Centre there is

the idea to allow students to interact with the installation and learn hands on what is occurring

with solar energy production, energy usage and influence change for the future. This outreach

to the large number of visitors that come to Harbourfront Centre through the camps and events

and influence the way they see the building and its energy use was the overall goal to begin.

So as this next spring and summer season pass there is an expectation that the engagement

and feedback will continue to grow and fuel the motivation for Harbourfront Centre to innovate

even more.



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IMPACTS FROM SCALED UP BIPV

Making a Strategic Investment

PV Energy Production

After the success of the BIPV hardware implemented at the Enwave Theatre, we looked to

scale the technology’s deployment up to estimate the solar energy generating capacity of high-

rise commercial buildings such as those in downtown Toronto. These large, highly-glazed

buildings offer a unique potential for significant distributed electricity production using semi-

transparent BIPV glazing panels for their facades.

For this analysis, a 30-storey commercial building oriented due south with an average sized

floor plan (3:2 aspect ratio) was modelled. For the purposes of this report, there was assumed

to be no shading, although this if course will be a major consideration with any downtown

construction projects. Applying conservative assumptions for the amount of BIPV deployed

within the building facades, a cumulative installed BIPV capacity for the south, east and west

facades was determined to be 488 kWp. Using the advanced PV system simulation software

PVsyst, the three facades of this high-rise commercial building are estimated to generate 324

MWh per year of clean electricity during peak hours.

Currently, the Ontario FIT program does not provide incentives for unconstructed buildings

looking to incorporate PV technology. However, at the time of writing the OPA has started

initiatives to explore opening the FIT program to unconstructed buildings and it is expected

BIPV would be included within this addition. Although the current FIT rates will likely be adjusted

in 2013 to match lowering PV system costs, the current FIT price for systems between 100kW

and 500kW is $0.539 per kWh of solar electricity generated. Applying this existing rate to

simulated production from the 30-storey commercial building yields $175,000 in its first year.



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The system production and associated revenues would decrease over time by up to 1.0% per

year as the silicon PV cells slowly degrade for an overall average of $152,000 over its expected

30-year lifetime.

If the FIT program is not available or a contract not pursued, a commercial building with BIPV

could either consume the generated electricity, sell it to the grid or a combination of both

(through a net-metered system). In these scenarios, the electricity produced would either create

energy savings or revenues initially at the Toronto Hydro rate of approximately $0.11/kWh. Over

the 30-yr lifetime expected for the glazing, the commercial building modelled above with 488

kWp of PV capacity would save the building owner an average of $49,000.

Energy Load Savings

While a building’s electricity load can be reduced by consuming the BIPV-generated electricity,

it can also achieve significant energy savings from the insulating and solar gain control

properties of the BIPV glazing units. Using the advanced building modelling program Design

Builder, two 30-storey commercial buildings were constructed to determine the effects of

implementing BIPV. The baseline building model was designed to meet ASHRAE 90.1

prescriptive requirements except the glazing to wall ratio was increased from 40% to 85% to

simulate a highly glazed commercial building. The second building (with 85% glazing) was

constructed the same way but instead the BIPV glazing used for the Enwave Theatre replaced

the standard glass units. For the south, east and west facades BIPV glazing with Glass Type B

(SC 75) with low solar gain was applied whereas the north façade had Glass Type A (TC 88)

with a higher solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).

Comparing the BIPV commercial building to the baseline building, the higher performing BIPV

glazing envelope was simulated to reduce the natural gas consumption by 44% (276,000 m3)

and the electricity consumption by 1% (88,000 kWh). For the 30-storey commercial building, this



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amounts to a conservative estimate of $66,000 in annual natural gas savings and $11,600 in

annual electricity savings over the glazing’s lifetime.

Building Mechanical System Downsizing

The previous section explains how designing a building with a BIPV glazing envelope could

significantly improve energy conservation compared to a building with standard ASHRAE 90.1

glazing. However, this also impacts the building’s peak heating and cooling loads which are

directly correlated to the capacity required for the building’s mechanical systems. As a result,

implementing the BIPV glazing can also enable the downsizing of a building’s boilers and

chillers. The Design Builder simulations described previously estimate reductions of 5% of

cooling capacity (peak load decrease) and 19% of heating capacity. The 5% decrease in

cooling capacity is not large enough to eliminate a chiller. However, the 19% reduction in

heating capacity due to the better insulating BIPV envelope would likely enable the elimination

of one boiler which would save a building developer $60,000-$80,000 including reduced

venting.

Class 43.2 Capital Cost Allowance

In addition to income generation, energy savings and mechanical system downsizing,

implementing a BIPV system can yield other financial benefits as well. Canadian tax law

provides incentives for industry to invest in clean energy generation equipment such as

photovoltaic modules. Under Class 43.2 of the Income Tax Regulations, capital expenditures on

photovoltaic systems receive an elevated accelerated capital cost allowance (CCA). This

depreciation rate is allowed at 50% per year on a declining basis (with an exception of 25% in

the first year of ownership) which can be deducted from income. Without this tax law provision,

alternative energy generating equipment would typically only be allowed a 4-20% depreciation

rate. The accelerated CCA of 50% encourages renewable energy projects as the system



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owners can increase their income tax reductions over the first few years of the project thereby

improving project payback lengths.

There are a few stipulations with the use of Class 43.2 which vary depending on the source of

income generated by the project. If a PV system is net-metered, business owners must

consume at least 50% of the power generated. If this requirement is met then the CCA can be

applied against the company’s general income. If, as expected, the FIT program is opened up to

BIPV projects, PV system owners would sell all of the electricity generated by the array back to

the grid. However, this only applies to for-profit business owners. In this case, the CCA would

apply to the income generated from the FIT contract rather than the business’s general income

(up to a maximum of the lower of the yearly income generated or depreciation allowed).

In addition to Class 43.2 capital cost allowances, certain development and start-up expenses

(mostly intangible) of renewable energy projects are eligible as Canadian Renewable and

Conservation Expenses (CRCE). These expenses can be fully deducted in the year incurred,

carried forward indefinitely or transferred to investors under flow-through share agreements.

High Performance New Construction

The OPA’s High Performance New Construction (HPNC) program provides incentives for

building owners to construct buildings that exceed the electricity efficiency standards outlined in

the Ontario Building Code. There are three approaches that can be taken to ensure projects are

eligible for incentives: prescriptive, in which pre-approved energy efficient technologies are

implement; engineered, in which preset calculation worksheets are used to calculate energy

reductions; and custom, in which energy modelling is used to determine the building’s energy

performance. For the last option, the program covers 100% of the energy modelling costs (up to

$10,000). Building owners will receive payments for up to $800 per kW or $0.10 per kWh saved

compared to defined benchmarks.



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Although the HPNC program incentives are in place to encourage energy efficient building

design, at this time BIPV applications are not eligible for the program. This is despite BIPV

offering building owners the potential to significantly reduce energy demands by consuming the

PV electricity that is generated. As BIPV becomes better established and understood in Ontario,

this HPNC program may open up to the technology and become another potential revenue

source.

Greenhouse Gas Impacts

The financial benefits of constructing a high-rise commercial building with a BIPV glazing

envelope have been outlined in the previous section. However, the clean solar electricity

generation and decreased heating/cooling loads would also result in a significant reduction to

the building’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to calculate the GHG emission

reductions, emission factors are needed to convert the electricity and natural gas savings into

tonnes of CO2. The following emission factors were used from Toronto’s 2011 Emissions

Inventory Report: 0.000165 tonnes of CO2 per kWh of electricity and 0.001891 tonnes of CO2

per cubic metre of natural gas. Combining the electricity produced by the BIPV glazing

(assuming internal consumption) with the natural gas and electricity savings from improved

envelope performance, the BIPV glazing is estimated to reduce the commercial building’s

emissions by 616 tonnes of CO2 per year. Typical glazing for a building is expected to last

between 20 to 30 years. However, the performance of the glazing system will drop as the years

progress. If we place conservative values of performance degradation on the solar generation

and thermal/solar gain insulation properties of the glazing at 1% and 2% respectively per year,

there is a total 30 year reduction of 14,265 tonnes of CO2.



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Current Business Case for BIPV

Based the information presented in the report and with the use of some assumptions, the

following is a look at the business case that can be made for BIPV on the high-rise commercial

building used in the scaled-up case study. It should be stressed that the following assumptions

can be valid or invalid for different projects. Not all the factors that are necessarily part of the

full financial analysis are included below but can be used as a high level business case for

BIPV. Most of the variables in the analysis are anticipated to change in the coming months and

years and are anticipated to be a conservative analysis.

The major assumptions made include the following:

The building has no significant shading on its east, west and southern facades and so all

of the glazed sections of these facades are available for PV;

The BIPV coverage on the east, west and southern facades is 36%;

The performance incentive provided for the installation of the BIPV system is consistent

with the New Construction High Performance program currently available in Ontario at

the time of this report;

The FIT rate assumed for the production of electricity was $0.539/kWh;

The building will have a performance improvement over code of 25%;

A general incremental cost for the BIPV glazing is at $35 per square foot;

A general incremental cost for the non-PV glazing is $7 per square foot;

Cost increases per year for electricity and natural gas are at 3% from a base rate of

$0.11/kWh and $0.20/m3 natural gas;



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Production of the BIPV system decreases by 1% annually.

Through the use of these assumptions some of the additional values of importance that are

relevant to developing the business model can be calculated. The incremental cost for the

superior BIPV glazing unit on the entire building is expected to be approximately $3.7 million. If

this building system was available for energy efficiency incentives at the current rates it would

only allow for an immediate rebate of $75,800. The accelerated tax rate benefits could mean an

added cash flow of $550,000 over the following three years for the building owner. Next, the

incremental utility savings that are expected with the high performance glazing will be $127,000

on average per year for the life of the glazing. This is considering that the electricity produced

from the BIPV is used to offset load for the building instead of feeding to the grid. If, however,

the electricity was to be sold to the grid through the FIT program then the energy savings will be

approximately $78,000 per year and an average income of $152,000 from the sales of

electricity.

In assessing the financial feasibility of a BIPV project, the number presented in this section of

the document would be reasonable starting point. More information would need to be included

in a full analysis that can help create the proper justification for a project. These factors would

be specific to each organization and are expected to have a significant impact on the analysis.

.



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RECOMMENDATIONS TO GROW BIPV IN TORONTO

Through the research for this paper, the development of the Harbourfront Centre project and

personal professional experience, several conclusions have been drawn about potential

strategies to improve the local deployment of BIPV in Toronto and similar municipalities in the

region. The adoption of this technology should also be of interest on a provincial and even

federal policy making level as BIPV in its many forms will signify an opportunity for innovation

and the creation of high-value jobs.

Transparency of Building Energy Usage

One of the main barriers to BIPV’s acceptance by the general public, beyond the obvious

aesthetic attributes, is the lack of knowledge and understanding occupants have of their

building’s energy use breakdown. Improving this would enable building owners and its users to

have a clear understanding of their building’s utility consumption and related GHG emissions

which can be benchmarked against buildings of a similar function and climate region.

Steps in North America are being taken to require building utility usage tracked and reported

with standard performance levels. For instance, in the summer of 2013, it is expected that

National Resources Canada will release an adapted Canadian version of ENERGY STAR®

Portfolio Manager™ for buildings and manufacturing plants. It will be a voluntary tool with which

people will have the ability to track and report their utility usage but also be able to compare

their results to the overall database that is created (31). The American Society of Heating,

Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has also developed its building labeling

program called Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) that is similar to mandatory European Union

energy performance certificates for buildings. The easy-to-understand scale used in this

building labeling has been very successful for informing Europeans about a building’s energy



Page 46

performance and therefore long-term operational costs before purchasing (32). The Canadian

Green Building Council (CaGBC) has also initiated a national program called GREEN UP® that

will allow for office, multi-family, long-term healthcare, hotel, retail, K-12 school, and government

buildings to be compared against each other and the ENERGY STAR rating (33).

These performance indicators can then start to become part of the common language that is

used by individuals to understand how their building’s utility usage and GHG emissions

compare to the average building and also to those of exceptional performance. With the reality

of increasing utility pricing and the introduction of carbon pricing it is also necessary for allowing

building owners and users to effectively understand their risk in operating the facility. Toronto

and other municipalities should adopt the use of such building rating or performance comparing

programs for their jurisdictions. This will allow the advantages of such innovative conservation

and green energy products to be better appreciated and encourage the shift towards more

energy efficient buildings.

Hardware Certification and Standards

Confidence in a new technology is not gained quickly and penetration into the building industry

will not come easily as established design methods will be difficult to break even with the

changing building codes. Developing an effective BIPV product without the necessary

certifications and standards to support the product can lead to significant road blocks in the

integration process for a building construction or retrofit of an existing building.

Even in Europe, standards for BIPV products are not well-established. Functioning as a building

material and photovoltaic module, BIPV products must adhere to standards, tests and product

certifications designed for both categories (34). However, the differences between BIPV

hardware and the standard building material and PV module products means these standards



Page 47

and certifications are often not well-suited for specific BIPV products. Furthermore, challenges

exist due to the large degree of customization required for buildings constructed with highly

glazed windows and walls. BIPV hardware for building envelope glazing would need to be

frequently redesigned and resized for individual projects requiring manufacturers to go through

the costly and time consuming recertification process each time. As the BIPV industry becomes

more established the need for standards and certifications designed specifically for BIPV

products will become critical to give manufacturers, developers and consumers the ability to

implement BIPV with viable costs and timelines.

BIPV Incentives

The Ontario FIT has resulted in a new conversation around energy production for the province.

As each successful renewable energy project is completed, people increasingly understand the

many levels of benefits associated with these new sources of energy. Of course, not every

project has been completely successful as the industry matures and its professionals improve

their expertise. Nevertheless, this program can be viewed as a success as it has created a new

industry in a relatively short period of time. As the Ontario FIT adapts it will look at opportunities

to increase the competitiveness of the industry that has developed. In July 2012, Ontario’s

Ministry of Energy directed the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to create a pilot program for solar

PV projects on unconstructed buildings. This has been taken as a sign for the potential of

including BIPV in the FIT program. This would only start as pilot program initially but could open

the door to its widespread adoption.

Although the inclusion of BIPV for unconstructed buildings as part of the Ontario FIT program

may result in a few buildings adopt the technology, lumping BIPV under the same rules that

apply to the other sources of renewable energy is not the ideal way to encourage the

development of a BIPV industry in Ontario. There are a number of reasons to present for this



Page 48

argument:

BIPV hardware has other functions aside from producing energy and following strict

timelines for implementation (ie. application period, date to connect) so far seen with the

FIT program, it will not work well with typical building planning timelines and need for

flexibility (35)

Ownership of the BIPV for installation at a multi-residential/condo or commercial setting

may make it difficult to determine how the FIT rates are distributed

Typical ownership changes from construction to operation of the building, meaning the

benefit of the FIT program will not be experienced by the party which has taken on the

risk for the technology integration (15)

Components required for the various types of BIPV installations will not fit well with local

content rules for project acceptance under the FIT program

The destination of electricity produced from BIPV installations will not necessarily best

be used to feed to the local grid since building peak loads themselves can be offset with

the electricity production

BIPV have different hardware components required that will affect the price points so

current FIT rate would be inefficient for the rate payer

Instead, it is recommended that the OPA adopts an incentive package which would allow BIPV

to be implemented as an energy efficiency project for new constructions. This would imply then

that all the electricity generated by the BIPV would be used directly in the building only and not

be sold to the local distribution grid. The production expected from the system would be

compensated through a one-time payment to the building developer. Initiatives are already



Page 49

being implemented by the OPA that incentivize and encourage energy conservation projects

(36). By helping reduce energy consumption, this initiative has the added benefit to recipients of

lowering the impact of utility price fluctuations. There are many benefits of proceeding along

this path for BIPV:

The financial incentive is provided fully to the building developer as they will be bearing

the full costs of integration and therefore need this cost offset to help the project’s

financial viability

Government administration would likely be easier if the electricity generated was used in

the building as there are no monthly payments and no need to involve the Local

Distribution Company which would further complicate the process

Time requirements for applications would be reduced and the risks removed with

including the incentive as part of the building process

Allow for technology (control and storage) innovation as integrating the electricity

generation with on-site real time use can accomplish significant peak load reductions for

the building

Remove the need for rules such as domestic content requirements to reduce the

complication of integrating BIPV into the building design process by limiting what is

available on the market for designers to use (this policy is not needed as local

companies will already have a clear advantage to oversee companies as BIPV requires

more customization for building integration as there is no standard panel sizes as you

will have in PV)

The complication of connecting the generated energy to the grid is removed and also

eliminates the problem of local transformer capacity issues and immediate smart grid



Page 50

requirements in the building location (important for high population density locations)

(37)

This groups the technology together with energy conservation measures and less with

the renewable energy sector that is still controversial to a portion of the population

For the incentive to work optimally there is an important challenge to determine what the right

price point will need to be. Currently, for High Performance New Construction there are

incentives that are ranging between 5 to 10 cents per kWh of reduced consumption in a year or

400 to 800 dollars for each kW peak load (36). Financial analysis can be performed with these

current rates to determine if they are adequate to provide incentive to the building developer or

it should be adjusted to do so. The addition of BIPV to a building will effectively create the same

grid capacity and load reductions that would be gained from other electricity efficiency

upgrades.

Currently there does exist an income tax deduction that is available for “Canadian Renewable

and Conservation Expenses”. It is applicable to any project eligible for Federal Budget Class

43.2 CCA treatment and targets the pre-production phase of the project. If the assists satisfy

the higher efficiency standards under the Class 43.2 a taxpayer may deduct 50% per year on a

declining balance basis (38). Building on this with added energy efficiency driven incentives

could create the right financial case for building developers.

Building Industry Integration

As with any new technology it is always important to support the education and awareness with

those that will need to work with BIPV. As this report shows, this can be a complicated task as

the variations of BIPV products are continuously expanding. Not only are new uses for BIPV

being identified but the industry is also using new materials and creating new dynamics for the



Page 51

building environment. It is expected that the architectural community will be interested and

attracted to BIPV for the new options it will bring to building design. However, this will mean

that traditional building procedures and methods will need to be changed in order for the BIPV

hardware to be properly integrated.

Since BIPV glazing will require electrical connections made to the individual panels there will be

wiring integrated throughout various parts of the building which is not required for standard

glazing. The locations of the wiring path will need to be considered carefully for ease of

installation and maintenance. The power components and other hardware needed support the

electricity generation will also need to be located strategically within the building and may

include multiple sites depending on the size and complexity of its distribution. Timelines for the

various contractors and their scope of work will also need to be altered if BIPV is included as

part of the building design. The degree to which the project plans are disrupted will ultimately

depend on the design and the experience the architects, engineers and construction managers

have with BIPV.

Facilitating the discussion of BIPV within local educational institutions and the building industry

is important to increasing the technology’s rate of acceptance and deployment. Currently, there

are smaller events taking place in Ontario that bring exposure to the BIPV industry. However,

larger events are needed that can encourage collaboration between the different groups

required to carry out an important building project that can help BIPV become mainstream.

Building Codes

Effective at the start of 2012, Ontario took an important step to addressing building efficiency

requirements for new construction with the release of the SB-10 and SB-12. These additions to

the code are laying the foundations for new requirements for buildings to meet high-efficiency



Page 52

targets (example: net-zero energy) which are already being regulated for other jurisdictions

around the world. The inclusion of the building performance requirements has opened the door

to innovative design ideas that will allow for cost-effective ways to meet the targets. This alone

has strengthened the conversation surrounding BIPV but it still might be insufficient to make it a

necessary inclusion yet.

In Ontario, the next revision and therefore opportunity for more stringent energy efficiency

requirements on new buildings will occur around 2017. Discussions on the changes that may

come are currently tabled among the technical advisory groups. Ensuring that the electricity

produced by BIPV can count towards a building’s overall efficiency requirements when used

internally is an important point that, if addressed properly, can open the door for the technology

to reach another level. As Toronto has demonstrated in the past, it too can include special

provisions in its Toronto Green Standard that would further draw attention to the use of

technologies that make particular sense to the city (as was done with green roofs). The current

issues Toronto Hydro is having adding capacity in the city with new distribution lines is another

strong argument to facilitate the production of electricity using the high-rise buildings being

constructed.

It is a critical time in the defining of BIPV’s future in Ontario with respect to the role that it the

technology will play in the province’s energy plan. As a result of the commitment of other

jurisdictions around the world for net-zero energy buildings, regardless of the actions taken by

Ontario and its municipalities, BIPV will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in the

future of the building industry.



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APPENDIX A: PREFEASIBLITY

Figure 1: Aerial photo showing location and orientation of the Enwave Theatre



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Figure 2: Ten slanted glass windows replaced with BIPV panels



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Exhibit 1: PVSYST performance simulation – Page 1



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Exhibit 2: Sample RETScreen financial output for BIPV project



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APPENDIX B: SYSTEM DESIGN

Figure 1: Single line diagram of BIPV system to existing service



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Figure 2: Photo of the ten completely installed BIPV panels with artistic rendering



Page 68

Exhibit 1: Sunways solar cell performance details – Page 1



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Exhibit 1: Sunways solar cell performance details – Page 2



Page 70

Figure 3: Simplified wire diagram and specifications for each BIPV panel



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Figure 4: Tyco Electronics – Solarlok Straddle Edge Connector



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Figure 5: Wall mounted Kaco inverter with DC and AC disconnect devices



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Exhibit 2: Flashing testing report for the ten BIPV panels



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Exhibit 3: Kaco 1502xi inverter specifications – Page 1



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Exhibit 3: Kaco 1502xi inverter specifications – Page 2



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Figure 6: External AC disconnect device as required by Toronto Hydro



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Figure 7: One damaged BIPV panel in the original shipment from German



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APPENDIX C: COMMISSIONING

Exhibit 1: Kaco watchDOG performance monitoring card – Page 1



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Exhibit 1: Kaco watchDOG performance monitoring card – Page 2



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Figure 1: Kaco’s Blueplanet Webportal interface

Figure 2: Warning labels on the inverter and disconnect devices

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