Buildings integrated with solar technology can help India reduce construction emissions

By 2060, the total floor area of buildings worldwide is expected to double. Most of the expansion will take place in emerging economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where population growth and urbanisation are fastest.

Every architectural and infrastructure decision made in constructing those buildings will “lock in” vulnerability or resilience to climate risks for decades. For developing countries – where land is scarce and cities are expanding rapidly – the stakes are especially high, as demand for energy, shelter and infrastructure surges.

Building Integrated Photovoltaics offers a strategic solution that would integrate energy efficiency and climate resilience into the buildings themselves. Unlike conventional solar photovoltaic panels, typically added to roofs or land, Building Integrated Photovoltaics incorporates solar cells directly into the building envelope, including roofs, facades, and even windows. This means energy generation becomes part of the building’s structure, not just an add-on. Where traditional PV panels are appliances placed on buildings, Building Integrated Photovoltaics weaves solar tech into architecture itself, making it both essential and unobtrusive.

India is a prime example of why this shift matters. The country’s construction sector accounted for about 17% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, combining emissions from energy use in buildings and the embodied energy in production and transport of materials.

This is a significant, often overlooked, part of the carbon footprint, and as the country urbanises quickly, decarbonising construction is urgent. Here, Building Integrated Photovoltaics emerges as both a climate solution and a pathway to resilient, healthier communities.

This move from solar as accessory to solar as core architectural feature is not just technological innovation; it is a shift in thinking about urban design. Building Integrated Photovoltaics achieves a blend of aesthetics, function, and sustainability in one seamless form. When buildings generate energy, cities acquire a more decentralised and resilient power infrastructure than the traditional hub and spokes model.

The benefits extend far beyond emissions reduction. Well-designed Building integrated photovoltaics improves buildings’ thermal comfort and aesthetics, and can even protect and lengthen the lifespan of construction materials.

Retrofitting old buildings or quickly adding traditional solar panels cannot keep pace with the current rate of urbanisation. Integrating solar from the design stage enables sustainability to be built into the urban fabric, allowing power to be generated where people live and work. Buildings become distributed energy assets rather than just consumers. This is an enabler for denser, vertical development, which can conserve land and lower emissions without slowing progress.

Equity in access is critical. Building integrated photovoltaics should not be seen as only for luxury homes or tech campuses. For truly sustainable cities, building integrated photovoltaics must reach affordable housing – often left out of cutting-edge sustainability efforts. As technology evolves, the focus must be on affordability and adaptability to local needs, ensuring broader impact especially for low- and middle-income families.

From promise to practice

Making affordable homes into decentralised power plants helps reduce energy costs, increases comfort, and cuts emissions, directly addressing both energy poverty and climate vulnerability.

Wider Building Integrated Photovoltaics adoption also drives economic opportunity: architects need accessible digital tools to plan it into building designs, and the workforce needs new skills for installing and maintaining systems, creating jobs and local expertise.

Achieving the promise of building integrated photovoltaics requires more than technology. Robust cooperation, regulatory support, and knowledge-sharing frameworks are essential. TheInternational Solar Alliance, an intergovernmental coalition, has played a pivotal role by promoting solar adoption, especially benefiting member states from the Global South. Through technical assistance, policy advocacy, and capacity building, ISA has helped shift building integrated photovoltaics from vision to practice across multiple contexts.

With urbanisation accelerating, timely adoption is critical. Mass deployment of building integrated photovoltaics in public and affordable housing can lower climate risks and foster more inclusive, resilient cities. This requires supportive building codes, fiscal incentives, and coordinated urban planning to ensure integration is straightforward and affordable. Partnerships spanning governments, industry, and local communities help translate climate ambitions into real action.

In India, Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment plays a key role. As thecountry’s homegrown green building rating system, GRIHA can drive change by updating criteria to reward building integrated photovoltaics, backing pilot projects in affordable housing, and actively engaging developers, cities, and users. These steps bridge the gap from policy to practice and foster market acceptance, scaling building integrated photovoltaics use.

Building integrated photovoltaics is no longer experimental or limited to showcase projects. It is ready to become standard in sustainable urban development, especially in the Global South. By leveraging collaboration and a shared need for climate resilience, emerging economies can shape the future of solar-powered cities. Institutions like ISA provide an enabling platform; India’s policy efforts set the model; and GRIHA ensures ground-level implementation.

With intentional design and supportive policies, Building Integrated Photovoltaics can fundamentally redefine the built environment—turning rooftops and walls into power sources, supporting sustainable communities, and marking a crucial advance in the global response to climate change.

Shabnam Bassi is Director of Sustainable Buildings division at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Akash Deep is DGM, GRIHA Council.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.