Active façades : life cycle environmental impacts and savings of photovoltaic power plants integrated into the building envelope

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.

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.

Active façades : life cycle environmental impacts and savings of photovoltaic power plants integrated into the building envelope

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