Technological advancement in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) has converted the building façade into a renewable energy-based generator. The BIPV façade is designed to provide energy generation along with conventional design objectives such as aesthetics and environmental control. The challenge however, is that architectural design objectives sometimes conflict with energy performance, such as the provision of view and daylight versus maximum power output. In innovative cases, the characteristics of conventional BIPV façades have been modified by researchers to address such conflicts through customization as an emerging trend in BIPV façade design. Although extensive reviews exist on BIPV product types, design integration, adoption barriers and performance issues, research on BIPV customization has not been reviewed as a solution to BIPV adoption. This paper seeks to review the potential of BIPV façade customization as a means of enhancing BIPV adoption. The current paper identifies customization parameters ranging from the customization category, level, and strategies, and related architectural potential along with an assessment of their impact. The findings reflect that elemental and compositional level customization using combined customization strategies provide enhanced BIPV products. These products are well integrated for both energy generation and aesthetic applications with a power output increase of up to 80% in some cases. The paper concludes that a wide range of BIPV adoption barriers such as aesthetics, architectural integration, and performance can be overcome by appropriate BIPV customization.

Active shading systems in buildings have emerged as a high performing shading solution that selectively and optimally controls daylight and heat gains. Active shading systems are increasingly used in buildings, due to their ability to mainly improve the building environment, reduce energy consumption and in some cases generate energy. They may be categorized into three classes: smart glazing, kinetic shading and integrated renewable energy shading. This paper reviews the current status of the different types in terms of design principle and working mechanism of the systems, performance, control strategies and building applications. Challenges, limitations and future opportunities of the systems are then discussed. The review highlights that despite its high initial cost, the electrochromic (EC) glazing is the most applied smart glazing due to the extensive use of glass in buildings under all climatic conditions. In terms of external shadings, the rotating shading type is the predominantly used one in buildings due to its low initial cost. Algae façades and folding shading systems are still emerging types, with high initial and maintenance costs and requiring specialist installers. The algae façade systems and PV integrated shading systems are a promising solution due to their dual benefits of providing shading and generating electricity. Active shading systems were found to save 12 to 50% of the building cooling electricity consumption.

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Global interest in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) has grown following forecasts of a compound annual growth rate of 18.7% and a total of 5.4 GW installed worldwide from 2013 to 2019. Although the BIPV technology has been in the public domain for the last three decades, its adoption has been hindered. Existing literature asserts that proper information and education at the proposal or early design stage is an important way of addressing adoption barriers. However, there is a lack of BIPV communication approaches for research, and market proposals that focus on clear information about its benefits. This has limited the adoption of BIPV.. Based on this, the present study aims to develop a conceptual framework for an educative-communication approach for presenting BIPV proposals to encourage its adoption. This is aimed at developing holistic research and market proposals which justify scholarly investigation and financial investment. Using a multiple case study investigation and Design Research Methodology (DRM) principles, the study developed an approach which combines core communication requirements, the pillars of sustainability and a hierarchical description of BIPV alongside its unique advantages. A two-step evaluation strategy involving an online pilot survey and a literature-based checklist, was used to validate the effectiveness of the developed approach. Our results show that understanding environmental and economic benefits was found to be significantly important to people who are likely adopters of BIPV (p < 0.05), making these benefits crucial drivers of adoption. Statistical significance was also found between those who do not know the benefits of using solar energy for electricity, and interest in knowing these benefits (p < 0.05). We thus conclude that proper communication of these benefits can safely be advanced as important facilitators of BIPV adoption. In general, this study elaborates the need and strategies for appropriate dissemination of innovative ideas to encourage and promote adoption of technological advancement for a sustainable global future.

Similar to many fast growing countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed fast population and urbanization growth. The building sector accounts for a major share of its electricity consumption, reaching up to 70%. To encourage sustainable development and reduce energy consumption and emissions, the government introduced a sustainability initiative called “Estidama”, which employs the use of the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS). Government buildings, which constitute 20% of the built environment, aim to lead the way, and are therefore required to attain a high level of achievement, based on their PBRS ranking (minimum of two out of five pearls). Schools, led by Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC), are governmental buildings and aim to attain a higher level of achievement (three out of five pearls). The ADEC plans to build one hundred schools to be built by 2020, through its Future Schools Program. Over half of the schools have been completed, but only 20% reached the targeted rating (of three out of five pearls). The Renewable Energy (RE) application in the UAE is minimal, although it represents 25% of the local rating code. The objective of this paper is to explore the sustainable performance of one representative school that did not reach the desired green rating level, with the objective to assess opportunities for an enhanced performance. This is done through testing the performance and the application of three RE systems comprising of photovoltaics (PV) array, an absorption cooling system and a geothermal cooling system through Transient Systems Simulation (TRNSYS) software. Cumulatively, implementation of these options results in RE potentially contributing to 19% of the school’s annual energy consumption, enhancing the school’s performance by up to 14 additional credit points, and reaching the target level of achievement (a three pearl rating). Furthermore, system integration of RE into the existing school were also considered. Results indicate the significant potential of integrating RE systems in future schools in hot climatic contexts, for an improved energy performance.