Abstract
Reducing GHG emissions related to energy use in buildings is a prominent obligation given their impact in terms of climate change. In this light, energy efficiency upgrade of the existing building stock is to be pursued through several means, of which envelope renovation is among the most impactful. However, innovative solutions should be sought to couple energy consumption targets with climate adaptability and minimized impact on occupants during a renovation action. This paper presents a multifunctional and energy autonomous component expected to bring disruptive changes in the European constructive tradition, as several companies and research centers cooperated to the development of a solar-fed, industrialized window block system that can ease installation operations on site, while increasing envelope energy efficiency, still without adding any disturbance to building occupants nor raising their energy bills. The product has been developed within the frame of an EU-funded collaborative research project, in a consortium including applied research centers, window framing, photovoltaic glazing, automated shading manufacturers. The window system climate-adaptive and modular based, flexible in functionalities and easily installed on site with minimized disturbance on occupants. The paper presents the engineering phase of the product, from concept definition to detailed design, as well as the catalogue of options available for installation up to date. Product presentation is complemented by both digital and material prototyping phases. This is to highlight the importance of technical design validation when complex and multifunctional components are brought to the market. The solar window block systems are planned for large scale production and installation in two different construction sites in Europe within 2020. Beyond the research project life, the design team has been working to build the business case for the adoption of such products analyzing the total cost of ownership compared to traditional window substitutions.