Most solar sits on a building. BIPV becomes the building. PrismFlow works alongside architects and developers to replace inert cladding, curtain walls, and roofing with photovoltaic materials that generate clean power while serving every structural and aesthetic function of the surface they replace.
Capturing light from every surface
Vertical facades receive abundant low-angle sun, especially in winter and at high latitudes where rooftops underperform. Our semi-transparent PV glazing and coloured thin-film panels turn south and west elevations into generators, while spandrel and rainscreen modules clad opaque areas, harvesting light across the entire envelope.
Because the photovoltaics replace materials you were buying anyway, the net cost of generation drops dramatically.
Smart infrastructure inside the envelope
Each facade zone is monitored and optimised independently, with micro-inverters managing the varied orientations of a real building. The system feeds a building energy platform that balances on-site generation against HVAC, lighting, and lifts, and semi-transparent glazing doubles as solar shading that cuts cooling load.
- Semi-transparent PV glazing with daylight control
- Coloured thin-film facade and spandrel panels
- Per-zone micro-inverters for mixed orientations
- Dual function as cladding, shading, and generation
- Architectural finishes from matte black to terracotta
Seamless integration with design intent
BIPV is specified at design stage so generation and architecture evolve together. PrismFlow supports your team with material samples, structural detailing, and yield modelling per elevation, ensuring the finished building meets both its energy targets and its aesthetic ambitions, often unlocking green building certifications in the process.
If you are planning a new build or a facade retrofit, bring us in early and we will help the architecture pay for itself.
Frequently asked questions
Does BIPV look like normal solar panels?
No. BIPV is engineered as an architectural finish, available in custom colours, transparencies, and textures that read as cladding or glazing rather than bolted-on panels.
Is it as efficient as rooftop solar?
Per panel, vertical surfaces capture less than an optimally tilted roof, but BIPV unlocks vast surface area otherwise wasted, and offsets the cost of the materials it replaces.
Can BIPV be added to an existing building?
Yes. Facade retrofits and reglazing projects are ideal candidates, replacing aging cladding or windows with generating equivalents.
Does the glazing block daylight?
Semi-transparent PV glass is tuned to your needs, admitting daylight while providing solar shading that reduces cooling demand.