Benefits

The benefits can be identified and evaluated based on the direct economic impacts, indirect economic impacts and qualitative values.

Direct economic impact

A BIPV installation can furnish a direct economic incentive to the owner by the value of the electricity produced. Other economic impacts include possible fiscal or subsidy advantages or benefits.

Indirect economic impact

A BIPV Installation can indirectly influence also the budget. For example a reduction of environmental emissions associated to the savings from the lowering the use of fossil fuel can be positively valued in the case of the introduction of a CO2 emissions tax. This could have a hidden economic effect not included in the initial analysis of the investment.

Also, the BIPV Installation adopted by multinationals can be associated to a positive and sensitive image to the environment; this could have a positive influence on the public perception and a possible indirect economic impact. Finally, many consumers might appreciate the feeling of independence derived from possessing a BIPV Installation that covers his/her own energetic requirement.

Qualitative values

The following deals with subjective benefits and therefore difficult to quantify. It gathers all the benefits that cannot be directly associated to an economic profit, but that increase the added value of the BIPV installations. The way added value  can be identified is by the energetic values (emergency power supply, energy for isolated houses of the electric grid, reduction of transmission and distribution losses, improvement of grid reliability), environmental values (contribution to green house effect reduction and nuclear waste), architectural values (multi-functionality, use of innovative construction materials, transparency, fire protection, electromagnetic wave protection, thermal isolation, waterproofing, maintenance reduction) as well as socio-economic values (development of new local industries with the relative products and markets, reduction of  fuel transportation cost, collaboration and long term aid to developing countries).