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The project is billed as “one of the world’s first large-scale solar facades on a commercial office tower,” according to the developers.
Developers in Australia recently completed the installation of 1,391 solar panels on the exterior of a 48-story building, which could generate up to 375 kilowatts (kW) of power.
The building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system covers over 28,000 square feet (2,679 square meters) wrapped around the building.
The system installed is expected to supply up to 20% of the building's base electricity demand once fully operational.
Developers in Australia have recently completed the installation of 1,391 solar panels into the facade, rooftop and crown of a Melbourne office tower, creating a building-integrated solar system capable of generating up to 375 kilowatts (kW) of power.
The system has been installed in the 48-story building at 435 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and is expected to supply up to 20% of the building’s base electricity demand once fully operational by the end of the year.
The project is billed as “one of the world’s first large-scale solar facades on a commercial office tower,” as Cbus Property, the building developer, claimed in a statement.
The solar panels installed were described as “Solar skin” by the developers.  The project was funded by the Australian government more than four years ago, which turned the tower’s walls into an electricity-producing surface instead of relying solely on rooftop panels.
The building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system covers more than 28,000 square feet (2,679 square meters) wrapped around the building, and expands the area available for solar generation in dense city environments where roof space is limited.
Once operational, the system would meet the building’s energy demands, while lowering cooling demand and reducing electricity drawn from the grid.
“The solar façade creates electricity but also acts as a sunshade that stops heat coming into the building,” Cbus Property Chief Executive Chris Kakoufas said. “This reduces operational costs for our tenant partners and emissions from grid electricity consumption, while creating a distinctive visual identity for the tower.”
The concept might sound simple; however, it was no easy feat.
Delivering the system needed more than simply attaching solar panels to a skyscraper.
Unlike the standard rooftop system, which is mounted onto a finished surface and can be removed without affecting the exterior, these BIPV systems replace conventional building materials such as facade cladding, glazing, shading, or roofing. These systems act both as a building element and an electricity generator.
According to construction company Multiplex, the work required collaboration among different teams to meet construction quality and project schedule.
“Integrating nearly 1,400 PV panels into the building envelope required not just technical smarts but also extensive coordination between the façade, structural and services teams to ensure no impact to quality or program,” said Ross Snowball, manager of Multiplex developers.
Australian architectural firm Bates Smart was brought on board to design the façade so that the photovoltaic panels become part of the building’s appearance rather than an add-on.
The final design included a textured exterior where the energy-generating panels function as both architectural elements and renewable energy infrastructure. 
The latest project is not the first Australian building to make power from its walls. An eight-story office building located at 550 Spencer Street in West Melbourne, equipped with 1,182 facade panels, was completed in November 2024.
But the new building differs in scale.
At 375 kilowatts peak, the Bourke Street system has more than double the reported capacity of the Spencer Street facade, on a 48-story tower rather than an eight-story building.
​It provides a proof of concept for large-scale vertical solar installations, suggesting that the exterior walls of future skyscrapers could evolve from passive building shells into active power-generating systems.
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