Standards Development

Scope

This document provides the basic principles, procedures, technical assessment and on-site test methods for scrap judgment of BIPV components. This document applies to determine whether the BIPV components integrated into building should be scrapped.

Purpose

1. Justification

With the widespread application of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), the number of BIPV systems reaching the end of their service life and requiring disposal is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Determining whether BIPV components should be scrapped is therefore a prerequisite for ensuring their reasonable, environmentally responsible, and efficient recycling. This is an urgent issue that requires international consideration.

At present, several international standards already address BIPV products and aspects of photovoltaic recycling. However, there is currently no international standard that provides criteria for determining when BIPV components should be scrapped, nor are there established boundary conditions for making such determinations.

Therefore, the development of an international standard for determining the scrappability of BIPV components is both necessary and timely.

China has recently published the national standard GB/T 45922-2025, Technical Specification for Photovoltaic Module Scrapping. This standard provides technical assessment methods for determining the scrapping of both BIPV and Building Applied Photovoltaic (BAPV) modules. As such, it offers an excellent foundation for the development of a corresponding international standard.

2. Purpose

The proposed standard aims to:

Ensure safety and protect end-users by facilitating the timely decommissioning of BIPV components that present structural, electrical, or other safety-related risks.

Reduce unnecessary waste by preventing the premature removal of functionally sound BIPV components that do not present structural or electrical hazards. This will help minimise avoidable disposal, maximise the commercial value of installed systems, and reduce environmental impact.

Establish a bridge between operation and recycling processes within the BIPV lifecycle. This will support the integrity and sustainability of the BIPV industry by promoting a closed-loop approach that encompasses production, operation, scrapping, recycling, and material reuse, thereby maximising resource efficiency and material utilisation.