Impact of Multiple Parameters on Energy Performance of PV-DSF Buildings

Abstract

Double Skin Façade (DSF) has been widely used in buildings to enhance energy efficiency and bring daylight and aesthetic benefits. Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules can be integrated in DSF to fully or partially meet the electricity demand. Therefore, in this study, the energy performance of a 3-storey PV-DSF building is analyzed for three cities of Iran with distinctive climates namely Tehran, Tabriz and Kish Island considering different orientations, cavity widths and different optical properties for the PV system. The results indicated that the south facing PV-DSF have the maximum electricity generation and the minimum net electricity consumption. With increase in cavity width from 0.4 to 1.2 m, the annual electricity consumption is reduced by 5.88, 5.19 and 7.49 MWh for Tehran, Tabriz and Kish, respectively. The cavity width tends to have negligible impact on electricity generation. The analysis of the outer PV skin showed that the glazing with lower Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) offers more energy saving benefits for all the considered cities.

Keywords

• PV-DSF
• energy performance
• cavity width
• optical properties