Abstract
Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) can contribute to accelerate the global energy transition, producing electricity from renewable energy sources directly in the buildings. BIPV modules can substitute roof, façade, shading components, etc., thus considering it with the early stages of the buildings’ design can be relevant. Eurac Research developed a tool to support architects and other designers in this task. The “BIPV optimization tool” (available in a simplified version on the EnergyMatching Platform) suggests the optimal configuration of a PV system to be integrated in a building or group of buildings, meaning optimal PV capacity, modules’ position and electric storage system size. It considers the specificities of the cases, including the hourly profile of building electricity consumption. The tool can evaluate the energy fluxes between PV, storage, building uses and grid in each hour of the year. This allows to have a set of KPIs addressing the BIPV expected performance, for instance self-consumption, self-sufficiency, net present value, levelised cost of electricity, CO2 emission. The BIPV optimisation tool supports Eurac experts also to explore the BIPV potential with regard to different research topics today under discussion. This article explores the features of the tool and an application example.