Prefabricated Renewable Energy Facades for Cost-effective Buildings (PREFAB)
Abstract
The integration of solar energy in prefabricated façade elements is a promising technology. The energy transition requires a large amount of space, and especially for high-rise buildings the roof area is not sufficient to comply with modern building codes regarding energy performance. Prefabricated or ‘industrial’ building is getting more popular, as it leads to lower costs for installation and allows for better quality control. Within this project, a consortium aims to develop prefab façade elements with integrated photovoltaic (PV) modules. A demonstrator was designed and installed, which includes PV modules with several innovative technologies with regards to size, form, colour and transparency. The prefab elements are designed to be aesthetically appealing. The performance of the demonstrator is extensively analysed based on measurements and detailed modelling. The ambition of the project partners is to develop design and building products with integrated PV that can be introduced to the market.