Potential Benefits of PV-Shading System in Office Buildings and Semi-Continental Climate Conditions

Abstract

Solar PV shading devices are good solutions to control daylight and reduce the unwanted solar gains, while generate electricity at the same time. Since thermal, electrical and daylighting performance competing each other, it is imperative to consider specific design criteria to optimize and allow energy efficient level of thermal and visual performance. In this context, the study focus on the optimum design of PV shading devices for typical office building with high fenestration ratio and climate conditions of Prague. TRNsys simulation environment was used for the evaluation of the power and thermal performance of the PV shadings considering various tilt angles, projection depth and orientations. Ecotect/Daysim software tools were used to evaluate the daylighting performance and lighting energy use. Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) and Discomfort Glare Probability (DGP) indices were also calculated for indoor visual comfort analysis according to the design configuration. Results were overall evaluated to reveal the potential energy benefits compared to the non-shaded case. The study serves as a guide for the optimum design of PV shading systems.