Mumbai-based solar engineering, procurement, and construction company Aelius Turbina has announced its expansion into manufacturing building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, including solar roof tiles, floor tiles, and facade panels.

The company is setting up a fully automated 5-acre manufacturing facility in Halol, near Vadodara, Gujarat.

The factory inauguration is scheduled for January 15, with trial runs in December.

The line is customized for variable panel sizes and weights, ranging from 300 mm × 300 mm to 3,000 mm × 1,500 mm. In standard solar panel terms, the capacity is about 300 MW per year. For BIPV, this translates to roughly 2 million sq. ft. of module production annually.

According to Dhaval Mehta, Chief Business Officer at Aelius Turbina, all the machinery has arrived, and installation is in progress. He also said it has received work orders for prototypes and genuine interest from several architects and developers in its BIPV products.

The machinery was designed and customized in-house and manufactured in China after two years of collaboration and development.

Aelius will use M10R or G12 TOPCon and HJT solar cells. The line is compatible with both technologies. For architectural applications, the machinery is compatible with producing PV laminated glass up to 24 mm thick, with double glazing and soundproofing options. They can also be provided in various colors and designs to meet architectural requirements.

Dhaval noted that in India, rooftop space on commercial buildings is often insufficient to meet the power demand. For example, a 10-story commercial building may require about 5 MW but can host only 300–500 kW on the roof.  “Acquiring land for utility-scale projects is becoming increasingly difficult and costly. BIPV offers a way for buildings to generate up to 20% of their energy demand in-house while serving as functional building materials.”

BIPV modules are expected to have a return on investment of around four years, with a 30-year performance guarantee, similar to standard solar panels, he said.

The company said it will also produce standard 600 – 750 Wp TOPCon and HJT modules.

According to the Australian PV Institute, BIPV solutions offer economic value for power generation and support the transition of energy systems towards renewable-based sources. BIPV systems could help companies look beyond just their economic goals and aim to create a fossil-free business.