Assessing the Environmental Performance of BIPV Systems under Different Environmental Conditions

This paper provides an overview of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) environmental performance in different conditions. Four different technologies were selected based on their representativeness of the currently available systems and on the availability of the necessary data. Their characteristics, including lifespan, efficiency, and embodied energy and carbon, were identified through a database search and a review of recently published research. The energy production was estimated assuming the installation of the systems on the optimal orientation, a flat roof and façades facing due to the four cardinal directions. The simulation considered ten locations in different climates and with different solar irradiations and climates. The final environmental performance is calculated based on energy and CO2 balance, mainly through the Energy Payback Time (EPBT), Carbon Payback Time (CPBT) and Carbon Intensity (CI). Although limited by the assumptions and simplifications necessary to conduct a wide-ranging study, the paper offers a representative dataset and insights into the viability of the main currently available BIPV solutions in different climatic regions.