Within the building energy saving strategies, BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic systems) present a promising potential based on the close relationship existing between these multifunctional systems and the overall building energy balance. Building integration of STPV (semi-transparent photovoltaic) elements affects deeply the building energy demand since it influences the heating, cooling and lighting loads as well as the local electricity generation. This work analyses over different window-to-wall ratios the overall energy performance of five STPV elements, each element having a specific degree of transparency, in order to assess the energy saving potential compared to a conventional solar control glass compliant with the local technical standard. The prior optical characterization, focused to measure the spectral properties of the elements, was experimentally undertaken. The obtained data were used to perform simulations based on a reference office building using a package of specific software tools (DesignBuilder, EnergyPlus, PVsyst, and COMFEN) to take proper account of the STPV peculiarities. To evaluate the global energy performance of the STPV elements a new Energy Balance Index was formulated. The results show that for intermediate and large facade openings the energy saving potential provided by the STPV solutions ranges between 18% and 59% compared to the reference glass.

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Buildings Indoor Air Quality requires a control in the Relative Humidity parameter. In passive architecture in humid climates relative humidity is even more important for human comfort and difficult to control. Therefore, nowadays, there is a research on dehumidifying systems. The present article shows an innovative dehumidifying panel composed of a plaster and Calcium Chloride salt. Laboratory tests are carried out to establish its viability as an indoor air moister regulator integrated in common plaster building interior coatings. There are two types of tests that have been carried out in two consecutive empirical phases: in the first phase, the tests of characterization of the Calcium Chloride as a desiccant are carried out; in a second phase, the dehumidifying panel as a whole is tested. Finally, both types of empirical tests show the efficiency and viability as an air moisture passive control system. ResumenEl confort interior en los edificios requiere de un control de la Humedad Relativa. En la arquitectura pasiva en climas húmedos esta humedad relativa es aún más importante para el confort humano y difícil de controlar; por lo que, actualmente, se investigan sistemas de deshumidificación. El presente artículo presenta el diseño y evaluación de un innovador panel deshumidificador compuesto de yeso y de sal de Cloruro Cálcico. Se llevan a cabo ensayos para establecer su viabilidad como regulador de humedad integrado en recubrimientos interiores comunes como el yeso. Los ensayos son de dos tipos, realizados en dos fases consecutivas: en una primera fase, se realizan los ensayos de caracterización del comportamiento del Cloruro Cálcico como desecante; y, en una segunda fase, se ensaya el comportamiento del panel en su conjunto. Finalmente, ambos ensayos demuestran la eficacia y viabilidad del conjunto como regulador de humedad.

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