Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
The dedicated BIPV lab was setup as a joint industry-academia collaboration between BHEL & IISc way back in 2007-08 to demonstrate state-of-the-art PV integration in low-energy Buildings and thermal comfort studies in tropical conditions. Studies also included impact of dust and soiling on PV performance and various low-water based cleaning mechanisms. The lab’s publication (Impact of dust on solar photovoltaic (PV) performance: Research status, challenges and recommendations) brought world wide attention on the vulnerability of PV performance to dust, and has one of most citied papers in this domain. The lab has been upgraded to a a grid-interactive 9kWp PV roof-integrated system system with innovative natural lighting design to support further studies on PV performance, building physics and climate-change vulnerability.
Thermal Testing Facilities
The BTTF facility comprises state-of-the-art experimental facility for investigating thermal performance of various building materials, including simulation of various climatic conditions. The facility comprises a dedicated guarded climate chamber, quick thermal testing instrumentation and thermal comfort monitoring.