Solar building envelope potential in urban environments: A state-of-the-art review of assessment methods and framework
Hongying Zhao, Rebecca Yang, Chengyang Liu, Chayn Sun
Abstract
For a sustainable urban environment, the adoption of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is a promising solution. Despite multiple studies on BIPV in individual buildings, scant research addresses its broader urban potential due to urban complexities and challenges. Meanwhile, there is a considerable gap between solar potential and BIPV potential, which results from the unique value of BIPVs. Therefore, it is essential to identify useable areas of building surfaces considering their architectural characteristics and provide appropriate match from various BIPV products. This review first provides a foundational understanding of BIPV types suited for urban areas, emphasizing their architectural features. Based on current literature, a comprehensive evaluation process for BIPV in the urban environment should be based on a powerful and effective platform for data integration, including solar irradiation value, urban information and product information. A BIPV product database linked to the platform could improve the matching of BIPV products with building surfaces, by considering identified architectural features. An integrated evaluation framework is proposed and could facilitate decision-making and guide the practical application of BIPVs on building surfaces in the urban environment.