BIPV MEETS CUSTOMIZABLE GLASS: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND AESTHETICS

摘要

The realization of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) facades with black and blue conventional modules has represented a first step of innovation in the process of PV transfer in sustainable buildings. Nowadays, architects are looking for additional BIPV products to design active facades with novel architectural languages. For this reason, BIPV manufacturers started to customize BIPV modules in order to meet architects and clients' requirements. However, changing traditional front solar glass to obtain coloured PV, can influence the final module power output. Even though there are already investigations about the reduction of PV energy output due to the front glass aesthetical treatments, there are not yet clear correlations between alternative design options (glass treatments and colours) and their operative conditions as facade elements. This paper is firstly aimed at providing a systematic investigation about novel mono-chromatic BIPV products in order to identify the influence of some main design options on the electro-thermal performances of modules. Specifically, this analysis is performed by evaluating, in collaboration with a Swiss industrial partner, a range of customized mono-chromatic BIPV prototypes by means of indoor measurements and outdoor tests. Furthermore, these results have been used to preliminarily assess the electro-thermal behaviour of multi-chromatic BIPV configurations both at STC and outdoor conditions. As a result, it arises that the operative condition should be carefully considered to qualify the behaviour of multi-chromatic BIPV modules with novel aesthetical designs in order to provide reliable data about the real electro-thermal behaviour.