Techno-economic analysis in application of glass solar cell on storey building: A case study of office building

Abstract

Urban area populated by edifice and storey building can complicate process of electric energy distribution to the middle of city. Citizen reluctance if their settlement passed by transmission network or being built substation, and bigger cost of underground cable than overhead line increases such difficulty level. If there is problem in delivering electric energy, so the city will face electric energy crisis and disrupt society life. One of solution in overcoming that issue is by installation the glass solar cell (transparent solar cell) with thin film material (CdTe) on storey building, which located in the middle of city and its electric energy supplied by PLN. In this study, glass solar cell will be installed in existing building “W” with solar cell area about 6,916 m2. Glass transparency level of study object building is 30%, so by installing same transparency level of solar cell can supply maximum electric energy 897,184 kWh/year or equal to 35% electric energy demand of building. Economic feasibility analysis applied in this study, where NPV is IDR 398,961,738, IRR is 7.47% and the payback period is 11 years, so this technology is feasible to be implemented economically. If considering the tilt and azimuth angle of solar cell installation, instalment in B and C side of building generates smaller electric energy than A and D side. This condition caused by bigger reduction on solar irradiation energy that accepted by B and C site, namely 66.35% for B side and 67.22% for C side. The usage of glass solar cell contributes to deduct greenhouse gas emission, maximum 732,999 kg/year.