Potential for Building Façade-Integrated Solar Thermal Collectors in a Highly Urbanized Context

Andrea Frattolillo,Giorgio Ficco,Laura Canale,Marco Dell’Isola,Costantino C Mastino

doi:10.3390/en13215801

Abstract

Development of technologies, materials, support systems, and coatings has made the integration of solar thermal systems into the building envelope increasingly possible. Solar thermal collectors can either be directly integrated, substituting conventional roof or façade covering materials, or constitute independent devices added to a roof or façade structure. Aimed at estimating the real effectiveness of building-integrated solar systems for domestic heat water (DHW) production or for heating integration, when horizontal or inclined pitches on buildings are not applicable, the authors analyze a case study with different scenarios, taking into account the issues connected to a highly urbanized context in the Mediterranean climate. A GIS model was used for estimating the energy balance, while the real producibility of the simulated systems was calculated by a dynamic hourly simulation model, realized according to ISO 52016. The savings in terms of primary energy needs obtained by installing solar thermal systems on the facade are presented, and the differences between the cases in which the system is used for DHW production only and for space heating too are distinguished and discussed. The evaluated potential is quantified in the absence of roof collectors, despite their high potential in the Mediterranean region, in order to better appreciate the effects induced by integrated facade systems.

Highlights

In recent years, increasing attention to the integration of solar systems with aesthetic and technical elements of the envelope in modern buildings has been paid by designers and building owners
Just think of the stiffness of the pipes transporting hot water compared to cables transporting electricity, the dimensions of the individual modules, without forgetting, the characteristics of the energy produced: thermal energy is intended for consumption in the immediate vicinity of the place where it is produced, while electricity can be transported over great distances [3,4]
The results presented in this paper constitute only a first step of the research and an in-depth study in the near future, with a greater number of influencing factors, will be carried out, in order to verify to what extent architectural integration could be considered convenient

Summary

Introduction

In recent years, increasing attention to the integration of solar systems with aesthetic and technical elements of the envelope (e.g., roofs, façades, and frames) in modern buildings has been paid by designers and building owners. To this aim, technological innovation in photovoltaic (PV) and solar systems is today oriented to the possibility to adapt shape, color, dimensions, superficial finishing, type of material, etc. A marginal attention to architectural integration issues was traditionally given at the design phase of PV and solar systems, leaving the responsibility of adapting materials, dimensions and shapes of these systems into the building to the architect

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Conclusion