Exploring the Robustness of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Renovation Scenarios to Climate Change Perspectives: Results for a multi-family building in the Swiss context

Building renovation is one of the main strategies put forth in western countries, where energy regulations are becoming increasingly demanding. Switzerland for example has set the ambitious target aiming at carbon neutrality for 2050. Building-integrated photovoltaic systems, functioning both as envelope material and on-site electricity generator, have the potential to strongly contribute towards these objectives. When designers consider the fulfilment of the 2050 objectives, the question of the robustness of the design decisions to the different climate change (CC) scenarios appears. Designing today, but taking into account climate evolution pathways, is a new challenge that architects must face. Based on publications from the IPCC, we know that CC effects, characterized by global warming, are already visible. In this context, we must learn to design by integrating uncertainty related to CC. One way to take these changes into account is the use of artificial weather files representing different possible scenarios. Focusing on the energy performance of a multi-family building, this article compares the results obtained for a series of BIPV renovation variants based on three IPCC scenarios. Despite the impact on the energy performance, results show no contradiction with respect to the strategies designed using the typical meteorological year scenario.