Architectural challenges in solar envelopes in zero-energy buildings in warm climates.

Abstract

Zero-energy buildings are seen as a promising path towards the necessary decarbonization of the built environment. They often produce electricity using photovoltaic systems, especially in warm climates due to the high solar availability. This creates formal, functional and structural architectural challenges. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate photovoltaic integration alternatives in a building with a real zero energy balance, focusing on the potential of BIPV as an architectural compositional element. Six design scenarios were drawn up for the envelopes, which should fulfil the potential requirement to also serve as thermal attenuators. The CMT-Tool™ method was used to evaluate the proposals, based on the Vitruvian triad (Utilitas, Firmitas and Venustas). The results indicated that the method is effective for iteratively refining decisions throughout the design process, while the proposals need to be more detailed to fulfil the design requirements.