Pierluigi Bonomo

BIPV: building envelope solutions in a multi-criteria approach. A method for assessing life-cycle costs in the early design phase

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for nearly zero energy buildings is rapidly contributing to changing the design criteria in architecture and concept of the building envelope. Today, photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most reliable technologies for integration in the built environment, and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is introducing a different notion of ‘energy integrability’ into practice. The difficulty of undertaking, from the first design stages, a really integrative approach towards energy (PV and building requirements) is today still one of the strongest barriers to the rise of the BIPV market. Likewise, the same uncertainty affects the economic aspects, objects of this paper, since BIPV systems are often evaluated similar to conventional installations. The typical consequence is to neglect their added value such as the multi-functionality of the system and therefore showing limited advantages of BIPV. Scope of this paper, starting from a multi-criteria approach, is to outline a new methodology for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of BIPV for the building skin. This method, based on a life-cycle costing approach and on the assessment of the whole building envelope solution, is expected to support architects during the early design phase in the research of the optimal design of BIPV, synergistically taking into account both PV and building quality. A comparison with conventional building elements and different PV technologies is also presented in order to strengthen the impact of the proposed methodology.

BIPV Products for Façades and Roofs: a Market Analysis

In this paper, the authors report on a jointly conducted analysis of the current status of the BIPV market starting from a comprehensive overview on the available product, discussing the application ranges and finally by giving the price levels. For this purpose a market survey was conducted among the various stakeholders in the BIPV sector, including architects, installers and BIPV product suppliers. The product survey was conducted for the general European Market and the price survey concerned only Benelux and Swiss markets. The most frequent products analysed were PV tiles and in-roof mounting systems (for residential roofs). Although crystalline silicon technology was most commonly used, thin film technologies gained considerable share in facade products. The data from the price survey showed that new buildings using BIPV products can be executed at very similar costs than projects involving conventional and/or building applied PV products.

BIPV in the Refurbishment of Minor Historical Centres： The Project of Integrability between Standard and Customized Technology

The proposed research is aimed to define some BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) paradigms for the refurbishment of historical contexts, by defining strategic criteria related to linguistic-architectural and technological-constructive aspects of solar systems (including case-studies in specific application contexts). This research could, once perfected and shared, be used within operative tools (guidelines, case studies, etc.) really applicable to common scale, e.g., in today’s post-earthquake reconstruction in L’Aquila, for defining possible solar implementation possibilities in sensitive areas according to an innovative and sustainable method of intervention.

Outdoor Characterization of Innovative BIPV Modules for Roof Application

In the framework of the European project Construct PV, two different real scale roof mock-up have been installed, one at SUPSI campus in Lugano (Switzerland) and one at Tegola Canadese Headquarter in Vittorio Veneto (Italy). Purpose of this paper is the investigation of the BIPV solar shingle developed within the project that consists of a durable laminated PV glass (containing crystalline solar cells) integrated onto a waterproofing back membrane bitumen-based with the aim of ensuring an easy-mounting and on-site customization. The test-facilities are aimed to demonstrate and to show the Construct PV technology (visits, professional development and student’s training, etc.) as well as to monitor the main energy performance of the new BIPV shingle in comparison to other BIPV roof systems already on the market. Electrical BIPV performances (energy production, performance ratio, temperature of modules, etc.) and some building performances (watertightness, temperatures, ventilation, etc.) are analyzed and discussed, showing strengths and weaknesses of the technology in a multicriteria perspective involving both energy and constructive requirements. This paper presents the preliminary achievements of the monitoring campaign carried out during the first months of installation.

PV and Façade Systems for the Building Skin. Analysis of Design Effectiveness and Technological Features

Facades are the central element in the design and architectural definition of contemporary buildings. Several solutions, with different aesthetical appeal, perform the finishing materials of existing building and new constructions. A sustainable design process today is intended to produce high-performance buildings that are energy-efficient, healthy and economically feasible, by wisely using renewable resources to minimize the impact on the environment and to reduce, as much as possible, the energy demand. For this reason, the facade system plays an important role for achieving these energy and environmental goals and Photovoltaic can play a leading role in this challenge. Relying on a vast database of products and building examples, collected in different research projects, a multi-criteria analysis has been performed to compare BIPV solutions with other technological possibilities for facade (either traditional than innovative), in terms of technological, architectural, energetic, environmental and economic requirements. As this study demonstrates, PV will be able to become an affordable alternative to conventional facades since a more precise information and a common language will be implemented and shared.