Assessment of Solar and Farming Systems Integration on Tropical Building Facades
Abstract
Singapore has committed to reduce greenhouse gases emissions as part of the Paris Agreement. Increasing energy and food self-sufficiency through integration of solar and vertical farming systems into buildings’ envelope could play a significant role in achieving Singapore’s targeted reductions. This paper focuses on the design optimization of the façade systems that are to be installed at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory at the National University of Singapore. In particular, the paper presents the results related to five performance indicators which include solar energy and farming potential as well as the impact of the façade design on the indoor daylight conditions, shading and thermal performance. The multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method VIKOR was adopted in the evaluation of the created design alternatives. The results from the computational simulations on radiation, daylight, and thermal conditions were used as inputs. Final optimal façade design is selected for four types of facades according to BIPV and farming systems arrangements for north and south orientations.