Prospects of photovoltaic rooftops, walls and windows at a city to building scale. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Panagiotidou, Maria; Brito, Miguel C.; Hamza, Kais; Jasieniak, Jacek J.; Zhou, Jin
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 230(2021)
• Page Start: 675
• Page End: 687
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Urban form -- Urban decarbonisation -- Solar potential -- BIPV -- Solar windows -- Perovskite -- Semi-transparent solar cells; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2021.10.060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: This work estimated PV energy potentials of building rooftops, walls and windows. The analysis was conducted at various spatial resolutions from city to building scale. Multiple urban form indicators were highly correlated with the PV energy estimates. PV Production could cover up to 74% of electricity consumption in the City of Melbourne. PV potential from windows became more prominent in central urban areas. Abstract: Many cities across the world are committing to deep decarbonisation efforts. While solar photovoltaics (PV) will play a critical role in this pursuit, the role of rooftop and facade-integrated PVs within the urban landscape is yet to be fully understood. This work presents an analysis into the solar energy harvesting potential of PVs integrated as building rooftops, walls, and windows at various spatial resolutions that range from city to building scale within the City of Melbourne, Australia, as a contemporary case study. It further investigates the relationship between calculated electricity production from such PVs with the urban morphology, seasonal variation and the measured electricity consumption by the local distribution network service providers. The results indicate that PV rooftops are responsible for the largest share of the city's solar energy potential. However, for individual blocks with high densities of high-rise and glazed buildings, it is shown that the PV potential from windows becomes more prominent. The technical workflow presented here will enable different cities to facilitate decision-making on the PV implementation in urban environments.