The impact of PV panels on cooling and heating loads of residential buildings in a humid subtropical climate zone
Aiman Albatayneh, Renad Albadaineh, Dina Karasneh
Abstract
Installing photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roofs of homes may reduce dependence on the electrical grid and lead to net-zero energy production. Climate patterns and a building’s structural system can significantly affect how much energy the structure uses. This investigation is aimed to focus on the shading effect of solar panels on the uninsulated roof of a residential building to investigate the output of combining architectural buildings with renewable energy systems. The PV system was modelled as a shading device using building simulation software (Design Builder) to calculate the monthly reduction and increase in heating and cooling loads for the rooftop in a humid subtropical climate zone. The results showed that the cooling loads were decreased by 290 kWh/year (almost 5%) and heating by almost 30 kWh/year. The findings showed the importance of renewable energy in tackling climate change and reducing the housing energy requirements for sustainable development.