Researchers in the Netherlands have analyzed the performance of PV facades over the period 2018-2023 and found that these systems may generate more economic value than conventional rooftop PV systems. Their analysis was based on financial, technical and environmental measures
Researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands and transmission system operator Tennet have conducted a five-year financial, technical and environmental assessment of building-integrated PV facades (BIPV) and concluded that these systems perform better than expected.
The research team analyzed the performance of vertical facade PVs facing south, east and west in the period 2018-2023. These performance values were then compared to those of conventional “optimally oriented” rooftop PV systems.
All PV systems are modeled using the Sandia PV Array Performance Model (SAPM), with meteorological data from the municipality of De Bilt, Central Netherlands. In all cases Silevo Triex-U300 Black 300 W panels were used. The Dutch day-ahead spot market prices for electricity were used to calculate the various matrices of the study.
In particular, the academics analyzed the economic, environmental and technical values achieved by the systems. The first measures the economic value of PV electricity relative to average market prices, while the second measures how much pollution the PV system prevents by generating clean energy instead of using fossil fuels. The last metric refers to how well the PV system integrates with the electricity grid and meets local energy needs.
The analysis showed that PV facades facing south, east and west reduced CO2 emissions by 1,725, 1,492 and 1,335 kilograms per kW, while the reference setup with optimally oriented PV modules reduced 2,434 kilograms of CO2 emissions per kW. Compared to the 2018 level, the value factor for optimally oriented PV decreased to 0.73 in 2023, while the value factor for the east facade and west facade was 0.87 and 0.84, respectively.
“We see a decline in the value factor of PV over time, although this decline is occurring at a slower rate than predicted in the scientific literature,” the scientists said. “It is interesting that PV on the east and west facades shows even lower reduction percentages, and therefore an increasing economic performance compared to optimally oriented PV. This demonstrates the increasing attractiveness of orientations that deviate from the optimal.”
The scientists concluded by noting that public incentives for solar energy should be devised to deploy a more optimal mix of PV tilts and orientations. “Integrating solar panels on the facade leads to much lower pressure on the electricity grid due to the higher self-consumption and the lower peak feed-in, compared to optimally oriented PV,” they say.
Their findings were presented in “PV on facades: a financial, technical and ecological assessment”, published in Energy & Buildings.
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