Architectural Solar Association

The Architectural Solar Association (ASA) is a industry advocate for product certification, standards development, education & training, legislative regulations, building & energy codes and solar architecture design specification as they relate to architectural solar including BAPV, BIPV and other solar building materials and trades. Our goal is to transform building facades and other architectural surfaces into generating assets. ASA is currently focused on the following three (3) key issues: UL Standards for Architectural Solar - UL 1703 currently has several limitations that do not address the needs of the architectural solar market. ASA is a voice for the industry to help guide UL to standards that keep architectural solar in mind. In the interim we plan to work with UL to establish amendments to UL 1703 with an end goal of establishing an entirely new standard for BIPV / architectural solar. This new standard would break down the barriers to architectural solar by focusing on a family recipe approach that is analogous to other building envelope standards and the IEC solar standards of Europe. Financial Barriers of Architectural Solar - ASA is committed to bringing industry together to break down the financial barriers of Architectural Solar. Currently there is significant room for interpretation in the tax code and how it applies to BIPV. ASA looks to fund efforts to establish a sound methodology for analyzing the financial viability of projects. ASA also looks to identify funding sources for architectural solar and connect them with our members. Education - ASA seeks to educate the building industry on how solar technologies can be integrated into the building envelope. ASA believes that the building industry as a whole needs to be involved with the adoption of architectural solar. These focus issues will be refined and expanded as ASA membership increases and ASA Working Groups are established