Barriers and Needs for Building Integration of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaics

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 41 is conducting an international survey concerning the integration of solar energy systems and architecture in order to identify barriers that architects are facing in incorporating active solar technologies in their design. The survey investigates the possible barriers of solar thermal and photovoltaics, to understand why there is still a resistance among architects for using these elements in their architectural design. Moreover, it asks about the needs of architects, on what should be developed for a wider use of solar active systems in the building skin. The survey also provides valuable information towards a comparative study of the two solar technologies from the perspective of architectural integration potentials. As the survey is conducted in 13 countries around the world (EU, Canada, South Korea), it gives a possibility to identify possible regional differences in understanding and acceptance of active solar technologies.