Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the contributions of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems to the notion of nearly zero-energy cities in the capitals of the European Union member states (EU), Norway, and Switzerland. Moreover, an in-depth investigation of the barriers and challenges ahead of the widespread rollout of BIPV technology is undertaken. This study investigates the scalability of the nearly zero-energy concept using BIPV technology in moving from individual buildings to entire cities. This study provide a metric for architects and urban planners that can be used to assess how much of the energy consumed by buildings in Europe could be supplied by BIPV systems when installed as building envelope materials on the outer skins of buildings. The results illustrate that by 2030, when buildings in the EU become more energy-efficient and the efficiency of BIPV systems will have improved considerably, BIPV envelope materials will be a reasonable option for building skins and will help in achieving nearly zero-energy cities. This study reveals that in the EU, taking a building skin to building net surface area ratio of 0.78 and a building skin glazing ratio of 30%, buildings could cover their electricity consumption using BIPV systems by 2030. Eighteen challenges and barriers to the extensive rollout of BIPV systems are recognised, classified, and discussed in this study in detail. The challenges are categorised into five stages, namely the decision, design, implementation, operation and maintenance, and end of life challenges.
Highlights
By 2050, the global population will increase by 30%, 68% of which will be settled in urban areas [7,8]; a structural shift and change from the consumption of fossil energy resources to the consumption of renewable energy resources and toward energy efficiency notions in urban areas is a must [9]
This study goes some way towards enhancing our understanding of the impacts of Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems on the energy transition of cities and the notion of nearly zero-energy cities in Europe, by defining a metric that can be used by architects and urban planners to assess how much of the energy consumed by buildings in Europe could be supplied by BIPV systems when implemented as building envelope materials over the entire building envelope surface area
The results show how much different European countries can rely on BIPV technology in the energy transition journey in urban areas
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. “The coldest year in the future will be warmer than the hottest year in the past”. This is an excerpt from the paper published in 2013 [1] by Camilo Mora et al, who calculated that by 2047 plus or minus five years, the average temperatures in each year would be warmer in most locations around the globe than they had been in those areas in any year between and 2005 if no measure are taken.
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