Potential strategies for enhancing solar architectural skins

Nicoletti, Eleonora

Abstract

As the climate crisis requires lowering carbon emissions on multiple fronts, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) can reduce buildings’ reliance on energy from fossil fuels by supplying them with electricity generated from a renewable source. Integrating photovoltaics into the building envelope brings advantages such as onsite energy generation and economic savings, besides improving aesthetics compared to building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) solutions. Nonetheless, embedding photovoltaics into architectural skins entails a trade-off between appearance and efficient energy generation. While regulatory frameworks and dropping prices have facilitated the spread of first- and second-generation photovoltaics for architectural applications, less established photovoltaic-based technologies may have the potential to improve the efficiency and appearance of solar architectural skins. They may reduce the amount of photovoltaic material to be integrated into the building envelope while increasing its energy conversion efficiency. Through an interdisciplinary review of academic literature and design examples, this study explores the potential of less-established photovoltaic-based solutions for architectural façade applications. It relates advances in photovoltaics to existing façade designs, towards proposing a range of potential strategies for improving buildings’ architectural image and electricity generation through façade-integrated solar technologies.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: International SEEDS Conference 2022
• Start Date: Aug 31, 2022
• End Date: Jul 2, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jul 22, 2022
• Keywords: Building-Integrated Photovoltaics, Solar Façades, Façade Design, Façade Technologies
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9720912
• Publisher URL: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/conferences/seeds-conference-2022/
• Additional Information: Paper accepted on 22/06/2022.