Daylight Performance of Perimeter Office Façades utilizing Semi-transparent Photovoltaic Windows: A Simulation Study

Kapsis, Konstantinos; Dermardiros, Vasken; Athienitis, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.657

Cited by 33 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Certain authors have proposed methods to evaluate and optimize the daylighting and visual comfort for first generation BIPV window (STPV) applications. While some studies used daylight autonomy metrics [12,13], across the Diva and Dysim software tools under a tropical climate [14,15]. Other studies conducted a luminous test under real conditions to achieve a visual comfort level in accordance with European standards.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recently, Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) windows have become an alternative energy solution to achieve a zero-energy building (ZEB) and provide visual comfort. In Algeria, some problems arise due to the high energy consumption levels of the building sector. Large amounts of this energy are lost through the external envelope façade, because of the poorness of the window’s design. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the optimum BIPV window performance for overall energy consumption (OEC) in terms of energy output, heating and cooling load, and artificial lighting to ensure visual comfort and energy savings in typical office buildings under a semi-arid climate. Field measurements of the tested office were carried out during a critical period. The data have been validated and used to develop a model for an OEC simulation. Extensive simulations using graphical optimization methods are applied to the base-model, as well as nine commercially-available BIPV modules with different Window Wall Ratios (WWRs), cardinal orientations, and tilt angles. The results of the investigation from the site measurements show a significant amount of energy output compared to the energy demand. This study revealed that the optimum BIPV window design includes double-glazing PV modules (A) with medium WWR and 20% VLT in the southern façade and 30% VLT toward the east–west axis. The maximum energy savings that can be achieved are 60% toward the south orientation by double-glazing PV module (D). On the other hand, the PV modules significantly minimize the glare index compared to the base-model. The data extracted from the simulation established that the energy output percentages in a 3D model can be used by architects and designers in early stages. In the end, the adoption of optimum BIPV windows shows a significant enough improvement in their overall energy savings and visual comfort to consider them essential under a semi-arid climate.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For any given point in a building, daylight is considered sufficient if the daylight autonomy exceeds 50% of the occupied hours of the year (ie DA300 lux or 500lux >50%) [140][141][142]. This concept is also used in defining spatial daylight autonomy (sDA) as described in IESNA LM [143], which is defined as the percentage of floor area achieving a given DAx lux [127]. According to the investigations by Reinhart et al [140,142], who compared occupants' subjective evaluations of daylight with simulated results for various daylight metrics (Figure 8), sDA was found to be the most reliable metric for predicting the perceived daylight condition within interior spaces.…”

Section: Dynamic Metricsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of thermal and optical characterisation of complex window systems and their building performance prediction

Sun

Wilson

2018

Applied Energy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Window systems play a key role in establishing both the thermal and luminous environments within buildings, as well as the consequent energy required to maintain these for the comfort of their occupants. Various strategies have been employed to improve the thermal and optical performance of window systems. Some of these approaches result in products with relatively complex structures. Thus, it becomes difficult to characterise their optical and thermal properties for use in building performance prediction. This review discusses the experimental and numerical methods used to predict the thermal and optical behaviour of complex window systems. Following a discussion of thermal characterisation methods available in the literature that include experimental test methods, theoretical calculation methods and Computational Fluid Dynamic methods, sophisticated optical methods, such as use of Bidirectional Scatter Distribution Functions (BSDF) to optically characterise complex window systems, are introduced. The application of BSDF allows advanced daylight assessment metrics along with daylight evaluation tools to be used to realise dynamic annual prediction of the luminous environment. Finally, this paper reviews methods that permit the prediction of the combined thermal, daylight and energy behaviour of buildings that make use of complex window systems.

show abstract

“…Since buildings consume a large amount of energy, the types of BIPV window used coupled with its position and light transmittance factors are seen to have the potential for achieving energy-savings effect [12]. As such, the investigations that were conducted on the impact of BIPV façades on the daylight's visual and non-visual effects of an office building [13] had implied a strong correlation between visual comfort and lighting conditions [14], where lightings that had been properly tailored according to work activities were shown to have resulted in higher employees' productivity. The most common method used for measuring daylight provision is the illuminance-based metric [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Investigation of Overall Energy Performance in Algerian Office Building Integrated Photovoltaic Window under Semi-Arid Climate

Mesloub

Kandar

Lim³

2019

Journal of Daylighting

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) energy has now become one of the most significant renewable energy alternatives for providing natural daylight and clean energy. As such, this study was conducted for the first time in Algeria to experimentally evaluate the BIPV window energy and lighting energy savings of a typical office building under the semi-arid climate condition. Apart from using the Energy Plus and Integrated Environment Solution-Virtual environment (IES-VE) energy simulation tools in the experimental validation, the daylighting control method and the dynamic Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) were also utilized to analyse the daylighting performance as well as the lighting energy of BIPV windows with different transparency levels at various cardinal orientations. The field measurements had revealed the overall energy model to be consistent and in good agreement with the EnergyPlus and the IESVE simulation models, where the tested PV module was found to have provided not only a 20% Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of uniformed daylight with low illuminance level, but also thermal comfort and a considerable amount of clean energy. The simulated results had demonstrated a substantial improvement in cooling energy and glare reduction of the PV modules as compared to the basemodel, where the only BIPV window configuration was achieved good area of UDI 300-700 lux is facing the South orientation and 30% VLT. In conclusion, the application of the thin film BIPV windows with different transparency and orientation levels can thus be regarded as an effective solution for minimizing the lighting energy consumption through its energy production instead of daylighting utilization.

show abstract

Daylight Performance of Perimeter Office Façades utilizing Semi-transparent Photovoltaic Windows: A Simulation Study

Cited by 33 publications

References 22 publications

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

The Optimum Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Windows Under a Semi-Arid Climate in Algerian Office Buildings

A review of thermal and optical characterisation of complex window systems and their building performance prediction

Experimental Investigation of Overall Energy Performance in Algerian Office Building Integrated Photovoltaic Window under Semi-Arid Climate

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About