Goal Increased energy supply from photovoltaics is a main priority in the “Energy Strategy 2050”. Within the research project “PV2050: Sustainability, market deployment and interaction to the grid – the impacts of advanced photovoltaic solutions” funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, we analysed different options for the enhanced integration of photovoltaic (PV) technologies into the envelope of Swiss buildings using novel monolithic silicon heterojunction organometallic perovskite tandem cells (SHJ-PSC) with adaptions to improve the visual acceptance. In a joint effort of product developers, architects and scientists, this project aimed at providing pathways for the wide-scale use of PV façade solutions, and developing integrated designs based on emerging high-efficiency module technologies to improve the visual aspect and acceptance of PV systems installed in Switzerland. These so-called active façades using photovoltaic modules to produce electricity can provide a significant contribution to the energy transition away from fossil and nuclear fuels. 2. Methods We compared the environmental impacts of different types of construction for building façades with and without integrated monolithic silicon heterojunction perovskite tandem modules (SHJ-PSC) with improved visual design using a prospective life cycle assessment with a time horizon of 2025. The comparison includes a conventional roughcast façade, a wooden façade, and two different active façades using photovoltaic modules. Furthermore, we compared the environmental impacts caused by the construction of the different façades with the environmental impacts saved due to the electricity produced by the active façades composed of photovoltaic modules. In addition, we analysed the reduction in environmental impact of the building using building-integrated photovoltaics due to substitution of construction materials for the façade or roof. 3. Results The use of photovoltaic modules as façade or roof will increase the environmental impact of the façade or roof compared to the use of conventional construction materials. However, the environmental impacts over the whole life cycle are significantly reduced due to the PV electricity produced by the building. The environmental impacts of the BIPV façade are about two to three times higher compared to a conventional façade, but the savings due to the electricity produced by the BIPV are five to eight times higher than the impacts of the conventional façade. The use of BIPV panels in the façade of buildings will cause net savings of about 600 kg CO2-eq per square meter over the whole life cycle of BIPV façades, while simultaneously saving 100 kg CO2-eq per square meter of façade for the reduced material demand.
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Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or facades. They are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power, although existing buildings may be retrofitted with similar technology.
A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mounting, cabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. It may also use a solar tracking system to improve the system's overall performance and include an integrated battery.
Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially used for electricity generation and as photosensors. A photovoltaic system employs solar modules, each comprising a number of solar cells, which generate electrical power. PV installations may be ground-mounted, rooftop-mounted, wall-mounted or floating.
Photovoltaic (PV) technology is necessary for global decarbonization. However, one of the challenges of the technology is that its land use may conflict with other space demands. Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) is a solution to efficiently use the ...
Solar photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most competitive renewable energy technologies in order to meet the increasing global energy demand and decrease CO2 emissions by competing effectively with fossil fuels. One of the important applications of PV energy ...
Because building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules are fully integrated into a building envelope, the back of the module can be exposed to little or no ventilation, resulting in increased operating temperatures. As the temperature increases, the perfo ...