A New Standard for High-Performance, Energy-Generating Facades

"To meet this ambitious requirement, the university partnered early with Mitrex, a manufacturer specializing in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), to explore how solar technology could move beyond the roof and become embedded within the architecture itself-positioning the project within a broader shift toward performance-driven sustainable architecture."

"Working alongside the architects and general contractor EllisDon, the company proposed a more transformative approach: leveraging the building envelope as a primary energy-producing surface. Through the integration of its facade-based BIPV system, what had been conceived as a passive exterior evolved into a high-performance vertical infrastructure."

"The complete solar installation delivers a total installed capacity of 632 kW, of which 513 kW is integrated directly into the facade and the remaining 119 kW is located on the rooftop. The majority of the system's capacity is therefore embedded within the vertical envelope itself, producing approximately 420,000 kWh of energy annually."

The Myron and Berna Garron Health Sciences Complex at the University of Toronto Scarborough required at least 20% of energy consumption from on-site renewable sources. The university partnered with Mitrex, a building-integrated photovoltaics manufacturer, to embed solar technology within the building's architecture rather than limiting it to rooftops. Designed by MVRDV and Diamond Schmitt Architects, the 63,000-square-foot facility initially featured conventional rooftop panels. However, Mitrex proposed integrating solar systems directly into the facade, transforming the building envelope into a high-performance energy-producing surface. The complete installation delivers 632 kW capacity, with 513 kW integrated into the facade and 119 kW on the roof, generating approximately 420,000 kWh annually.

Read at ArchDaily