ABSTRACT
Among the BIPV segments listed above, the first two, that is, the integration of PV using the building walls and building windows are mainly related to office structures and public buildings. These are the most impressive, most fascinating terrestrial utilization of PV.The building walls are made sometimes from non-transparent materials, but many times the entire building walls are constructed from glass. The 1973 oil crisis focused the people who commissioned to build the building and the architect’s attention to design and construct these large structures to be very attractive but at the same time to save energy. Before 1973, only the attractiveness and the image the building was projecting were the primary importance.After 1973, energy saving became important too. This was evident in buildings constructed of glass. Before that date, in the USA even for apartment buildings single glass windows were used. Because of that, the buildings’ heating and air-conditioning required a lot of energy. From there on, double windows were used. For all large glass buildings glass material was used, which had a sun reflection coating. Windows were started to be utilized, where the window had a utility even if its cost was double or triple or in the case of insulating windows even at a cost which was 20 times compared to clear window glass.
