Glass is the defining material of modern architecture. Transparent, durable, and inexpensive, it has made possible the skyscraper, the curtain wall, the greenhouse, and the atrium. The value of PV in buildings is its multiplicity of functions, serving as a standard building material and a generator of clean, renewable energy. Photovoltaics is one of the few renewable energy forms which can be integrated into the urban environment. Wherever glass is used in a building, a glass-based photovoltaic module can replace it.
Solar modules can be part of curtain walls, act as sunshades, or provide overcladding.
Semi-transparent PVs can be used in skylights, generating power while transmitting light. Today, architectural glass is coated with thin layers of metal or pigments that filter or deflect light. The same effect can be achieved, at comparable cost, with photovoltaic glass. Recent developments in thin film photovoltaics have enhanced their cost effectiveness due to mass production and efficient use of materials. This pavilion has been made possible by BP Solar.