Shading-tolerant Colored Façade BIPV Modules Using Back-contact Cells with Integrated Bypass Protection

Façade-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are increasingly recognized as a key contributor to net-zero energy buildings in dense urban environments. However, vertical PV installations are particularly exposed to complex and dynamic shading conditions, leading to disproportionate power losses, accelerated material degradation, and increased system complexity. This paper presents a shading-tolerant colored façade BIPV module platform developed by INVITAIC, based on advanced back-contact (BC) monocrystalline cells with integrated on-cell bypass protection. By embedding shading resilience at cell level, the system significantly reduces energy losses under partial shading while eliminating the need for module-level optimizers or micro-inverters. Combined with color-matched glass laminates, the approach enables architecturally integrated PV façades that behave more like conventional building materials—robust, predictable, and easy to plan. Laboratory measurements and field observations indicate energy yield improvements of 15–25% in shaded façade applications, while simultaneously reducing planning effort, system cost, and lifetime risk.