Analysis of Building-integrated Photovoltaic Systems: A Case Study of Commercial Buildings under Mediterranean Climate

Salem, Talal; Kinab, Elias

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.473

Cited by 32 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The consideration of climatic conditions has been demonstrated to be an important factor in investigating the energy output of BIPV window applications, especially solar radiance [40]. Global solar radiation and sunshine duration values are available on a mean daily or monthly basis.…”

Section: Climatic Conditions (Vertical Solar Radiance)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

2020

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Recently, Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) windows have become an alternative energy solution to achieve a zero-energy building (ZEB) and provide visual comfort. In Algeria, some problems arise due to the high energy consumption levels of the building sector. Large amounts of this energy are lost through the external envelope façade, because of the poorness of the window’s design. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the optimum BIPV window performance for overall energy consumption (OEC) in terms of energy output, heating and cooling load, and artificial lighting to ensure visual comfort and energy savings in typical office buildings under a semi-arid climate. Field measurements of the tested office were carried out during a critical period. The data have been validated and used to develop a model for an OEC simulation. Extensive simulations using graphical optimization methods are applied to the base-model, as well as nine commercially-available BIPV modules with different Window Wall Ratios (WWRs), cardinal orientations, and tilt angles. The results of the investigation from the site measurements show a significant amount of energy output compared to the energy demand. This study revealed that the optimum BIPV window design includes double-glazing PV modules (A) with medium WWR and 20% VLT in the southern façade and 30% VLT toward the east–west axis. The maximum energy savings that can be achieved are 60% toward the south orientation by double-glazing PV module (D). On the other hand, the PV modules significantly minimize the glare index compared to the base-model. The data extracted from the simulation established that the energy output percentages in a 3D model can be used by architects and designers in early stages. In the end, the adoption of optimum BIPV windows shows a significant enough improvement in their overall energy savings and visual comfort to consider them essential under a semi-arid climate.

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Section: Climatic Conditions (Vertical Solar Radiance)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

2020

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“…For BIPV, the main design elements are influenced by architectural design (such as direction and location) in contrast to conventional solar systems because PVs are integrated into the building [25,26]. Therefore, the installation has various associated directions and angles, and thus, the characteristics of solar irradiance and photovoltaic power generation performance vary depending on the installation direction and angle.…”

Section: Reliability Validation Of the Data Used For The Power Generamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Construction of a Mock-Up Test Building and a Statistical Analysis of the Data Acquired to Evaluate the Power Generation Performance of Photovoltaic Modules

lee¹,

Kim²,

Kim³

et al. 2020

Energies

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Traditionally, studies on the power generation performance analysis of the photovoltaic (PV) modules used in building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems have been based on computer simulations and actual experiments with constraints, resulting in the results being inaccurate and limited. This paper proposes a two-step analysis method that results in a more versatile and reliable means of analysis. The steps are: (1) construction of a mock-up test building in the form of BIPV systems and the collection of a massive amount of operational data for one year; and (2) a statistical analysis of the acquired data using Minitab software (Version: 17, Manufacturer: Minitab Inc., State College, PA, USA) to examine the power generation performance. The constructed BIPV mock-up applies design elements such as material types (c-Si and a-Si) and various directions and angles for different module installations. Prior to the analysis, the reliability of the large database (DB) constructed from the acquired data is statistically validated. Then, from the statistical correlation analysis of the DB, several plots that visualize the performance characteristics governed by design elements, including contour plots that show the region of higher performance, are generated. Further, a regression model equation for power generation performance is derived and verified. The results of this study will be useful in determining whether a BIPV system should be adopted in a building’s architectural design and, subsequently, selecting design element values for an actual BIPV system.

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“…If partial shading has not occurred, the generation is expected to be 557 kWh/yr, which will result in less electricity output of 36 kWh/yr (6.5%) per year due to the effect of partial shading. In the case of operating the OBIPV system according to the optimum operating angle (Table 2), the power generation with or without partial shading was predicted using Equations (14) and (15), and the results are shown in Figure 12. Monthly power generation reduced by the partial shading of the double skin façade overhang ranged from 5% to 8% and increased with higher solar altitude.…”

Section: Prediction Of the Obipv System Performance Of Power Generatimentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance Evaluation and Prediction of BIPV Systems under Partial Shading Conditions Using Normalized Efficiency

Lee

Choi

et al. 2019

Energies

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The performance of the Operable Building Integrated Photovoltaic (OBIPV) system applied to the building envelope to reduce the building energy consumption varies significantly depending on the operation method and influence of the surrounding environment. Therefore, optimization through performance monitoring is necessary to maximize power generation of the system. This study used temperature-corrected normalized efficiency (NE*) to evaluate the power generation performance of the operation methods and predict that of the OBIPV system based upon the measured data. It was confirmed that power generation performance decreased when the photovoltaic (PV) operation angle changed, the system remaining the same. A decrease in power generation performance due to partial shading from an overhang was also observed. As a result of the power generation prediction for two months using NE*, the error of the measured values was found to be less than 3%. In addition, with or without any partial shading of the OBIPV system, its performance degradation was predicted with an annual electricity generation decrease by 36 kWh/yr (6.5%). Therefore, NE* can be used as an indicator for evaluating the power generation performance of PV systems, and to predict generation performance considering partial shading.

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Analysis of Building-integrated Photovoltaic Systems: A Case Study of Commercial Buildings under Mediterranean Climate

Cited by 32 publications

References 5 publications

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

The Construction of a Mock-Up Test Building and a Statistical Analysis of the Data Acquired to Evaluate the Power Generation Performance of Photovoltaic Modules

Performance Evaluation and Prediction of BIPV Systems under Partial Shading Conditions Using Normalized Efficiency

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