Learning From Tetris: A New Approach for the Automated Configuration of the Interconnection Layout of BIPV Modules for Large-Scale Application

Abstract

To assess the potential of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) for large numbers of buildings, i.e., for a whole city or beyond, automated and fast but sufficiently accurate methods are required. As a part of a whole tool chain, this article presents an approach for the automated electric layout of a BIPV system based on the polyomino algorithm and a simplified approach for the power output calculation. In two used cases based on existing buildings, the calculated layout comes close to the theoretical maximum where each module is operated in its maximum power point. Unlike other existing approaches, the proposed algorithm prioritizes the connection between neighboring modules and leads to practically feasible wiring structures.