A parametric design algorithm for building integrated photovoltaics with net-zero energy performance

Abstract

This paper introduces a new design algorithm to optimize the building height for a set of parameters, including a fixed roof surface area with aspect ratio (1.0, 1.5, 2.0), orientation (East, South, and West), and integrated Photovoltaics (PV) technology (Crystalline Silicon, Thin Film), efficiency (10%, 15%, 19%), and inclination angle (90°, 70°). Four different scenarios were examined in accordance with the contextual boundary conditions. For each case, the algorithm yielded the optimum number of floors as an output so that the building maintains its net-zero energy rating. The preliminary results indicated that utilizing a PV system with premium 19% efficiency yielded the maximum building height as compared to a system with 15% and 10% efficiency by a factor of 2.3 and 5.7 respectively, especially for low energy consumption levels. The performance with a vertical inclination angle of 70° tilt was consistently superior to that from an angle of 90° (a 43% improvement with 15% efficiency). For an aspect ratio of 2.0, the South facades contribution is 2 to 2.8 times more than that from the East/West facades. Overall, the site shading factor induces a performance degradation in the range of 11.1% to 18.7%.