Performance comparison of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glazing systems based on heuristic multi-objective optimization

Abstract

Semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) windows, one of the façade elements, can generate electricity and provide a certain amount of natural daylight for occupants. Expensive cost and unsatisfied daylighting performance in the room are the common problems with using STPV. This study investigates thermal, daylighting, energy, and life-cycle cost performance by considering different window-to-wall ratios, building orientations, and STPV module types. The electricity balance index (elBI) indicator was proposed to become one of the criteria. There are two types of buildings: rig-test building as baseline-model and actual research facility building as test-model, used in this study, including the actual measurement and simulation by DesignBuilder tool. Results show that the Mediterranean climate type has higher efficiency based on the elBI indicator. The decision-making analysis using the analytic hierarchy process and PROMETHEE II found 0.309, 0.076, and 0.465 as the elBI, comfort, and cost criteria weightings, respectively. A set of the STPV parameter design solutions are obtained in different climate types based on out-ranking method. Furthermore, lighting energy consumption becomes the critical variable for STPV module type selection, while a simple ON/OFF lighting control system can improve the elBI by 0.02 until 0.04. Therefore, these research findings can improve the building and urban energy planning decision-making in different climate types.