A New Angle Selective See Thorough BIPV Façade for Solar Control
Abstract
Buildings account for almost 40% of the overall energy consumption both in Europe and the USA. Most of this demand is due to the energy needed to provide sufficient indoor comfort. In addition, electricity is required for artificial lighting and equipment. Fortunately, various projects have demonstrated that especially new buildings are able to achieve a neutral energy balance on an annual basis (“net-zero-energy buildings (ZEB)). To produce the same amount of energy, using renewable energy sources, as a building consumes during the entire year, significant reduction in the energy consumption and the use of renewable or non-finite energy sources are required. The main approach to producing usable energy for the buildings, using renewable sources, is the conversion of solar radiation into electricity, heat or cooling energy. As a result, the building envelope, especially the façades due to their large total area, becomes really important as it provides the necessary area for the installation of PV modules or solar collectors if we focus on high-rise buildings or multi family buildings. An example of a new multifunctional glazing PV façade for this application is presented here. The new angle-selective see through BIPV façade combines four important tasks in one element: solar control (g value less than 10%), glare protection, visual contact and an integrated PV system for electricity generation. These four elements, as they are completely integrated into the system, do not affect the architectural goal of a glazed façade and the view from the interior to the exterior is guaranteed. The paper presents the potential of this new system, using the results of dynamic building simulations to compare the system with traditional shading devices, aspects of the building integration and highly promising predictions for the integrated PV.