A number of natural resources can be exploited for providing energy, such as the sun, wind, water flow, tides, waves and deep heat generated within the earth. Recently, renewable resources especially that extracted from solar have been significantly encouraged mainly for environmental worries, such as climate change mitigation and global warming, coupled with high oil cost and security and economic matters. The crucial need of energy in human development has also been another important drive pushing the rapid progresses in renewable technologies, which results in both large-scale strategic projects for covering wide urban and rural areas and simple systems suitable for individual buildings. Solar energy has become a widely desired option, especially in high solar radiation areas. The Middle East, especially Gulf region is an ideal geographical area for solar power where it has one of the highest solar irradiation rates across the world. The population in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is significantly small compared to the geographical areas and populations are distributed mostly throughout huge areas forming small villages and rural communities on substantial distances from the main power networks. In Saudi Arabia, there is a crisis in supplying enough electricity to the large cities and domestic remote area in various parts in the country and a wide range of remote areas still suffer from a severe shortage of power supply. In this project, the opportunity of using small-scale solar energy technologies, such as Stand-Alone Building-Integrated PV (SABIPV) systems has been investigated as an optimal solution for providing solar energy to a great deal of off-grid areas in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the expected short and long-term impacts of such solution have been studied. The study showed that the main reasons behind the crisis in supplying electricity to domestic remote and rural off-grid areas in Saudi Arabia are the weakness of the financial returns compared to the cost of providing the service, the difficulty of the natural topography of areas, high cost of maintenance works, and the regulations of providing electric services in Saudi Arabia. This is in addition to the expected environmental impacts, such as raising the pollution rates in the area and the safety influences of extending the high voltage lines over huge areas. On the other hand, the lack of the necessary infrastructure services, particularly electricity and the looking forward for better level of prosperity lead people who live in countryside and remote areas usually to immigrate to in-grid areas which has several short and long-term negative impacts on economic, social and security sides. This study shows that SABIPV system is a cost-Impactive, powerful, and fundamental solution for all off-grid areas in Saudi Arabia including remote villages and rural communities and providing the same level of electricity services that can be achieved in urban on-grid areas. The system is expected to have positive impacts including reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the expansion of agricultural land and reduce desertification, reducing the influence of high-voltage electrical lines on living organisms, providing adequate electricity service at lower cost, offering more job opportunities for people in remote areas, increasing agricultural and handicraft products, developing the tourism sector in rural areas, reducing the rate of migration from rural areas to the cities, and reducing the slum areas in cities which helps to reduce the rate of crimes, ignorance, the low level of morality, and health and environmental problem.

Among technologies capable to produce electricity locally without contributing to GHG releases, building integrated PV systems (BIPV) could be major contributor. However, when exposed to intense solar radiation, the temperature of PV modules increase significantly, leading to a reduction in efficiency so that only about 14% of the incident radiation is converted into electrical energy. The high temperature also decrease the life of the modules, thereby making passive cooling of the PV components through natural convection a desirable and cost-effective means of overcoming both difficulties. An experimental investigation of heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of natural convection of air in vertical and inclined open-ended heated channels is therefore undertaken so as provide reliable information for the design of BIPV. Two experimental set ups were developed and used during the present investigations; one located at the CETHIL laboratory in Lyon, the F-device and the other located at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, the R-device. Both channels consisted of two wide parallel plates each of which could be subjected to controlled uniform or non-uniform heat fluxes. The investigation has been conducted by analyzing the mean wall temperatures, measured by thermocouples and mean velocity profiles and turbulent quantity distributions of the flow, measured with a PIV system. Flow patterns close to the heated faces were also investigated. The study is particularly focused on the transition region from laminar to turbulent flow. Three different heating geometric arrangements are examined in the modified Rayleigh number range from 3.86 x 105 to 6.22 x 106. The first is a vertical channel with one wall uniformly heated while the other was unheated, the second was a vertical channel in which both walls were non-uniformly heated and the third is an inclined channel uniformly heated from above. In the vertical configurations the width-to-height channel aspect ratio was fixed at 1:15 and in the inclined ones at 1:16. It is shown that the flow is very sensitivity to disturbances emanating from the ambient conditions. Moreover, the propagation of vortical structures and unsteadiness in the flow channel which are necessary to enhance heat transfer, occurred downstream of the mid-channel section at Ra* = 3.5 x 106 for uniformly and asymmetrically heated channels inclined between 60° and 90° to the horizontal. Indeed, these unsteady flow phenomena appears upstream the location of the inflexion point observed in the temperature excess distribution of the heated wall. In the case of non-uniform heating on both sides of the channel, a stronger 'disruption mechanism' exists, which leads to enhanced mixing and increased Reynolds stresses over most of the width of the channel. Empirical correlations of average Nusselt number as a function of modified Rayleigh number were obtained for each configuration.

The ongoing transformation of the energy system along a more sustainable trajectory requires advancements in a range of technological fields, as well as active involvement of different societal groups. Integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the built environment in particular is expected to play a crucial long-term role in the deployment of renewable energy technologies in urban areas, demanding the successful cooperation of planners, architects, engineers, scientists and users. The realisation of that technological change will require innovation at both an individual (within firms and organisations) and a collective (sector) level, giving rise to systemic approaches for its characterisation and analysis of its drivers. This study investigates the processes that either accelerate or hinder the development and diffusion of Building-Integrated PV (BIPV) applications into the market. Affected by developments in both the renewable energy and construction industries, the BIPV innovation system is a multi-sectoral case that has been explored only partially up to now. Acknowledging the fact that drivers of innovation span the globalised BIPV supply chain, this research adopts both an international and a national spatial perspective focusing on the UK. The analysis is based on a novel analytical framework which was developed in order to capture innovation dynamics at different levels, including technological advancements within firms, competition and synergy with other emerging and established innovation systems and pressures from the wider socio-economic configuration. This hybrid functional framework was conceived by combining elements from three academic strands: Technological Innovation Systems, the Multi-Level Perspective and Business Studies. The empirical research is based on various methods, including desktop research, semi-structured interviews and in-depth firm-level case studies. A thorough market assessment provides the techno-economic background for the research. The hybrid framework is used as a guide throughout the empirical investigation and is also implemented in the analytical part of the study to organise and interpret the findings, in order to assess the overall functionality of the innovation system. The analysis has underlined a range of processes that affect the development and diffusion of BIPV applications including inherent technological characteristics, societal factors and wider transitions within the energy and construction sectors. Future approaches for the assessment and governance of BIPV innovation will need to address its hybrid character and disruptiveness with regards to incumbent configurations, in order to appreciate its significance over the short and long term. Methodological and conceptual findings show that the combination of insights from different analytical perspectives offers a broader understanding of the processes affecting innovation dynamics in emerging technologies. Different approaches can be used in tandem to overcome methodological weaknesses, provide different analytical perspectives and assess the performance of complex innovation systems, which may span multiple countries and sectors. By better reflecting complexities, tensions and synergies, the framework developed here offers a promising way forward for the analysis of emerging sustainable technologies.

This paper deals with the usage of photovoltaics in positive energy buildings. The European Union published in 2010 a directive about the energy performance of buildings in which article 9 states that all member States shall ensure that by the end of 2020 all new buildings should be “nearly zero-energy” buildings (by the end of 2018 for public buildings). This kind of nearly zero-energy buildings is starting to develop in France under the name “BEPOS” (which stands for POSitive Energy Building, in French), and this is the name that will be used in this document. 288 projects have been certified “BEPOS” as of 2012, according to the ADEME which published a map of all the BEPOS buildings in France (the ADEME is a French agency for the environment and the energy utilization, which is a major actor in the French energy policy, often deciding where to allocate funds). To be a BEPOS, these buildings need to produce electricity on site and photovoltaics are often considered as one of the most mature and competitive technology to do so, also the most used. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that photovoltaics are an economically viable means to reach the BEPOS quality label, and to provide data to quantify the cost and performance of a photovoltaic system. To achieve that, the technological and market conditions of photovoltaics in France are reviewed, and techno-economic calculations are made using data provided by solar and construction companies.

Building Integrated Photo Voltaics (BIPVs) are devices which are manufactured to replace building components exposed to sufficient sunlight to generate energy. Photo Voltaic Roof tiles are Building Integrated components which can be used instead of traditional roofing materials. The following thesis is focused on comparing traditional, cheaper asphalt roof tiles with Photo Voltaic (PV) roofing tiles in terms of energy cost savings during their respective Net Present Values. The method used for achieving this is computer simulation made possible by software named "Solar Advisory Model" (SAM), developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), to simulate energy output and resultant energy costs saved. The simulations have been run on a prototype example of a model of a dwelling unit's roof area. The simulations have been repeated for 35 cities all over the U.S.A. for 5 different climatic zones on the same prototype example of the dwelling unit. Similarly, the roof area being laid with an array of PV roof tiles has been estimated for coverage by traditional asphalt roof shingles by using data from the RS Means construction costs data. The estimated costs associated with the asphalt roof area have been adjusted to a different set of 35 locations from the 5 climatic zones by using the location factor from RS Means. A statistical analysis was done to analyze the data, net present value of roofing materials being the dependent variable versus climatic zones and roofing material as the independent variables. The statistical model also included CDD (Cooling Degree Days) and HDD (Heating Degree Days) as co-variates. The results indicate that NPV (Net Present Value) of BIPV roof is significantly different from that of asphalt roof. Another statistical analysis was done to determine the effect of climatic zones on energy savings due to the use of BIPV roofing. Energy savings (in US$) was used as a dependent variable, and climatic zone as the independent variable. HDD AND CDD were also included in this model as co-variates. The results of this test indicate that both climatic zone and HDD have an effect on total energy savings.

La réduction de la consommation des bâtiments passe par : l'économie d'énergie, l'efficacité énergétique et l'utilisation des énergies renouvelables. Sur ce dernier point, l'intégration à grande échelle de composants photovoltaïques (PV) est une solution. Le rendement et la durée de vie des cellules PV en silicium cristalin diminuant avec l'augmentation de leur température de fonctionnement, il est essentiel de mettre au point des configurations d'intégration limitant leur échauffement. L'intégration en configuration de double-peau - la surface PV est séparée du bâtiment par une lame d'air - est une solution prometteuse. Sous l'effet de la chaleur, un écoulement de convection naturelle se met en place entre les deux parois, refroidissant ainsi les panneaux PV. Cet écoulement peut également servir de moteur pour la ventilation en été, et de préchauffage de l'air en hiver. Cette étude, expérimentale, fait partie d'un projet visant à comprendre le fonctionnement des double-peaux PV en analysant séparément les différents phénomènes physiques avant de prendre en compte l'ensemble des couplages. Elle porte plus particulièrement sur la convection naturelle au sein des double-façades verticales. Ici, la double-peau est modélisée par un canal vertical dont les deux parois principales sont chauffées sous des conditions de flux imposé. Un banc d'essais a été développé pour étudier la convection naturelle dans un canal vertical en eau. L'eau a été choisie pour se placer dans le cas d'un écoulement de convection pure (pas de rayonnement entre les parois). C'est un canal vertical de 65 cm de haut avec un écartement réglable placé dans une cuve de 1,5 m de haut contenant 160 L d'eau. Les parois sont chauffées à l'aide de 24 chaufferettes indépendantes délivrant un flux de chaleur uniforme, ce qui permet d'appliquer différentes configurations de chauffage. Des mesures de flux et de température sont réalisées au niveau des parois, et un système couplant de la velocimétrie laser Doppler deux composantes à un micro-thermocouple (25 μm) a été développé pour avoir accès aux vitesses verticale et horizontale et à la température dans le canal. Ce banc et son instrumentation sont décrits et les incertitudes de mesure associées ont été caractérisées. La configuration de chauffage uniforme symétrique a été étudiée ici pour différentes puissances injectées. Les profils de vitesse et de température moyennes mettent en évidence la présence d'un changement de régime d'écoulement dans le canal pour un nombre de Rayleigh indéntifié. L'étude approfondie des profils des fluctuations de vitesse et de température a permis de mettre au point une modélisation comportementale de ce changement de régime. De plus, une première approche est développée pour évaluer la pression dans le canal à partir de l'analyse et de l'estimation des différents termes de l'équation de conservation de la quantité de mouvement.

Σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι μέσα από την πειραματική διαδικασία και την επεξεργασία των αποτελεσμάτων να μελετηθούν τα φωτοβολταϊκά πλαίσια τεχνολογίας λεπτών φιλμ (Thin Films Photovoltaics-TFPV) που υπάρχουν διαθέσιμα στο εργαστήριο Ασύρματης Τηλεπικοινωνίας του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών στο Τμήμα Ηλεκτρολόγων Μηχανικών και Τεχνολογίας Υπολογιστών και να εξαχθούν συμπεράσματα που θα οδηγήσουν στην κατανόηση της λειτουργίας τους. Η ανάλυσή τους θα διευκρινίσει την λειτουργία τους και σε πραγματικές εφαρμογές. Επιπλέον θα γίνει προσπάθεια πειραματικής εξομοίωσης συνθηκών δοκιμής στους 25οC υπό ηλιακή ακτινοβολία 1000 W/m2 τονίζοντας ότι οι κατασκευαστικές πληροφορίες σε αυτές τις συνθήκες είναι ενδεικτικές και δεν εκφράζουν την συμπεριφορά των πλαισίων σε πραγματικές συνθήκες λειτουργίας. Επίσης θα παρουσιαστεί η επίδραση της τοπικής σκίασης και της αύξησης της προσπίπτουσας ακτινοβολίας σε μέρος ή και σε ολόκληρο το πλαίσιο που προκαλείται από ανάκλαση με τη βοήθεια κατόπτρου. Ειδικότερα παρουσιάζεται η κατάσταση της ενεργειακής πραγματικότητας σήμερα, οι προβληματισμοί για το περιβάλλον, η στροφή στις Ανανεώσιμες Πηγές Ενέργειας και η σημαντικότητα της ενσωμάτωσης φωτοβολταϊκών στα κτήρια. Επίσης παρουσιάζεται η θεωρία της ηλιακής ενέργειας και των φωτοβολταϊκών συστημάτων με τα πλεονεκτήματα και μειονεκτήματά τους. Στην συνέχεια γίνεται αναφορά στη συνδεσιμότητα των φωτοβολταϊκών με την ΔΕΗ και στις ενεργειακές ανάγκες που μπορούν να καλύψουν σε μια κτηριακή εγκατάσταση. Αναλύονται τεχνικές λεπτομέρειες και χαρακτηριστικά μεγέθη των φωτοβολταϊκών στοιχείων καθώς και η εξέλιξη της φωτοβολταϊκής τεχνολογίας ξεκινώντας από το πυρίτιο και καταλήγοντας στα Λεπτά Φιλμ και σε ακόμα νεότερες τεχνολογίες. Στη συνέχεια γίνεται ανάλυση της τεχνολογίας των λεπτών φιλμ προσανατολισμένη στην ενσωμάτωση τους σαν δομικά υλικά σε κατασκευές (BIPV-Building Integrated Photovoltaics).Στην πειραματική διαδικασία επεξηγείται η λογική που ακολουθήθηκε, η πειραματική διάταξη και τα όργανα που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν. Μελετώνται επίσης οι φωτοβολταϊκές παράμετροι και αναλύονται τα πειραματικά δεδομένα. Η ανάλυση γίνεται ως προς την ακτινοβολία, την θερμοκρασία και την εποχή του έτους. Τέλος, τα αποτελέσματα της ανάλυσης, (μέσο ένος προγράμματος στην γλώσσα προγραμματισμού C++), δημιουργούν μια βάση δεδομένων προσπελάσιμη από τον χρήστη για την πρόβλεψη και εξομοίωση των πειραματικών αποτελεσμάτων σε οποιοδήποτε συνδυασμό θερμοκρασίας και ακτινοβολίας. / The purpose of this diploma thesis is to study thin film photovoltaic panels that are available in the wireless communication laboratory in the University of Patras in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Through the experimental process and processing its results our goal was to extract the conclusions that would lead us to a better understanding of their function. Their analysis will determine their usability in real outdoor PV systems. A simulation of the standard test conditions that are set in 250C temperature and 1000 W/m2 radiation is made, pointing out that this information is unable to indicate the actual function of the panels in outdoor conditions. The effects of partial shadowing and increased radiation with mirror system are also presented. More specifically, the energy reality, thoughts about the environment, the global turn towards the renewable energy sources and the significance of photovoltaic integration in buildings (BIPV- Building Integrated Photovoltaics) are mentioned. The theory of solar energy and photovoltaic technology including its advantages and disadvantages is analyzed. Grid-connected PV systems, their contribution in energy production in buildings and the potential of wide application of BIPV is presented. The advantages of thin film as BIPV materials are also mentioned. The experimental parameters, the logics followed in the set up process and the instruments used are part of the complete analysis of thin film parameters in relation to radiation, temperature and time of the year that the measurements occurred. Finally with a C++, a simulation program was created to predict the behavior of the thin film panels in outdoor conditions.

Die Solarstromerzeugung mit Photovoltaikmodulen entwickelt sich zu einer wesentlichen Säule der Energieversorgung. Dabei kann die Integration der Module in die Gebäudehülle die Nachhaltigkeit der Systeme verbessern und neue Anwendungen in der Architektur erschließen. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die bautechnischen Anforderungen, die sich bei der gebäudeintegrierten Verwendung von Photovoltaikmodulen im Hinblick auf die Sicherheit von Bauteilen aus Glas ergeben. Diese Anforderungen betreffen die materielle Zusammensetzung als Bauprodukt, die Konstruktionsweise und die zu erbringenden Nachweise. Die alleinige Produktqualifizierung nach der elektrotechnischen Normung und die üblichen Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen in der Modulproduktion bieten hierfür keine hinreichende Grundlage, da sie keine charakteristischen Materialkennwerte liefern. Infolgedessen bedarf die Integration von Photovoltaikmodulen in die Gebäudehülle in vielen Fällen gesonderter Zustimmungs- oder Zulassungsverfahren. Resttragfähigkeitsprüfungen an Glas-Glas-Photovoltaikmodulen verfolgten das Ziel, die mechanischen Sicherheitseigenschaften gängiger Modulaufbauten im Vergleich zu Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas zu ermitteln. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse lassen sich die untersuchten Aufbauten als mindestens gleichwertig beurteilen. Mit einer bauaufsichtlichen Einstufung geeigneter Modulaufbauten als Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas könnte sich der zusätzliche Nachweisaufwand für gebäudeintegrierte Photovoltaik erheblich reduzieren. Im Vierpunkt-Biegeversuch wurde der Einfluss der Glasbeschichtung mit Dünnschichtsolarzellen auf die Festigkeit der verwendeten Gläser analysiert. Die für eine praktikable Qualitätssicherung durch die Hersteller wünschenswerte Prüfung im Fertigungsformat der Module erforderte eine Modifikation der Probengeometrie. Numerische Berechnungen konnten die Anwendbarkeit des Prüf- und Auswertungsverfahrens auf die vergrößerte Probenbreite nachweisen. Bei beiden untersuchten Dünnschichttechnologien ließ sich die Randentschichtung als Ursache für eine leichte Reduzierung der Biegezugfestigkeit identifizieren. Dabei blieben Mindestwerte für das Basisprodukt Floatglas eingehalten. Die Arbeit leistet einen Beitrag zum Nachweis der mechanischen Leistungseigenschaften von Photovoltaikmodulen, die für den Einsatz als Bauprodukt erforderlich sind. Darüber hinaus können die entwickelten Empfehlungen für die photovoltaikspezifischen Entwurfs- und Planungsaufgaben einen ganzheitlichen und interdisziplinären Planungs- und Bauablauf erleichtern. / Solar electricity produced by photovoltaic systems will play a major role in future energy supply systems. Integrating photovoltaic modules into the envelopes of buildings can improve the sustainability of these systems and stimulate new architectural applications. This thesis investigates the structural requirements related to building-integrated photovoltaic modules with regard to the structural safety of architectural glazing components. These requirements apply to the materials used, the structural design and the verification procedures. Neither type approval according to the electrical engineering standards nor customary quality control in module production provides characteristic material properties. Therefore, these standards are not sufficient to determine and declare the performance of a construction product. As a result, building-integrated photovoltaic modules require individual approval in many cases. Residual strength testing of glass-glass photovoltaic modules was carried out with the aim of determining the mechanical safety properties of common module configurations in comparison with laminated safety glass. Based on the results, the configurations tested can be evaluated to provide an equivalent safety level. The classification of suitable module configurations as laminated safety glass in the building codes could significantly reduce the need for additional testing and approval, and thus facilitate the use of building-integrated photovoltaics. The influence of photovoltaic thin-film coatings on the bending strength of the float glass used as a substrate or superstrate was analysed by applying four-point bending tests. As the direct use of full-size photovoltaic-coated glass sheets as samples would simplify quality control by the manufacturers, the dimensions of the specimens were modified with respect to the existing testing standard. Numerical calculations demonstrated the applicability of the test and evaluation procedures when the larger specimen width was used. For both types of investigated thin-film PV technology, edge ablation was determined to cause a slight reduction in the bending strength. The specimens tested still met the minimum values for float glass. The thesis contributes to knowledge on the mechanical performance of photovoltaic modules that are required for use as construction products. In addition, recommendations on the specific design and planning tasks for building-integrated photovoltaics were developed to promote a holistic and interdisciplinary planning and construction process.

Die Solarstromerzeugung mit Photovoltaikmodulen entwickelt sich zu einer wesentlichen Säule der Energieversorgung. Dabei kann die Integration der Module in die Gebäudehülle die Nachhaltigkeit der Systeme verbessern und neue Anwendungen in der Architektur erschließen. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die bautechnischen Anforderungen, die sich bei der gebäudeintegrierten Verwendung von Photovoltaikmodulen im Hinblick auf die Sicherheit von Bauteilen aus Glas ergeben. Diese Anforderungen betreffen die materielle Zusammensetzung als Bauprodukt, die Konstruktionsweise und die zu erbringenden Nachweise. Die alleinige Produktqualifizierung nach der elektrotechnischen Normung und die üblichen Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen in der Modulproduktion bieten hierfür keine hinreichende Grundlage, da sie keine charakteristischen Materialkennwerte liefern. Infolgedessen bedarf die Integration von Photovoltaikmodulen in die Gebäudehülle in vielen Fällen gesonderter Zustimmungs- oder Zulassungsverfahren. Resttragfähigkeitsprüfungen an Glas-Glas-Photovoltaikmodulen verfolgten das Ziel, die mechanischen Sicherheitseigenschaften gängiger Modulaufbauten im Vergleich zu Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas zu ermitteln. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse lassen sich die untersuchten Aufbauten als mindestens gleichwertig beurteilen. Mit einer bauaufsichtlichen Einstufung geeigneter Modulaufbauten als Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas könnte sich der zusätzliche Nachweisaufwand für gebäudeintegrierte Photovoltaik erheblich reduzieren. Im Vierpunkt-Biegeversuch wurde der Einfluss der Glasbeschichtung mit Dünnschichtsolarzellen auf die Festigkeit der verwendeten Gläser analysiert. Die für eine praktikable Qualitätssicherung durch die Hersteller wünschenswerte Prüfung im Fertigungsformat der Module erforderte eine Modifikation der Probengeometrie. Numerische Berechnungen konnten die Anwendbarkeit des Prüf- und Auswertungsverfahrens auf die vergrößerte Probenbreite nachweisen. Bei beiden untersuchten Dünnschichttechnologien ließ sich die Randentschichtung als Ursache für eine leichte Reduzierung der Biegezugfestigkeit identifizieren. Dabei blieben Mindestwerte für das Basisprodukt Floatglas eingehalten. Die Arbeit leistet einen Beitrag zum Nachweis der mechanischen Leistungseigenschaften von Photovoltaikmodulen, die für den Einsatz als Bauprodukt erforderlich sind. Darüber hinaus können die entwickelten Empfehlungen für die photovoltaikspezifischen Entwurfs- und Planungsaufgaben einen ganzheitlichen und interdisziplinären Planungs- und Bauablauf erleichtern. / Solar electricity produced by photovoltaic systems will play a major role in future energy supply systems. Integrating photovoltaic modules into the envelopes of buildings can improve the sustainability of these systems and stimulate new architectural applications. This thesis investigates the structural requirements related to building-integrated photovoltaic modules with regard to the structural safety of architectural glazing components. These requirements apply to the materials used, the structural design and the verification procedures. Neither type approval according to the electrical engineering standards nor customary quality control in module production provides characteristic material properties. Therefore, these standards are not sufficient to determine and declare the performance of a construction product. As a result, building-integrated photovoltaic modules require individual approval in many cases. Residual strength testing of glass-glass photovoltaic modules was carried out with the aim of determining the mechanical safety properties of common module configurations in comparison with laminated safety glass. Based on the results, the configurations tested can be evaluated to provide an equivalent safety level. The classification of suitable module configurations as laminated safety glass in the building codes could significantly reduce the need for additional testing and approval, and thus facilitate the use of building-integrated photovoltaics. The influence of photovoltaic thin-film coatings on the bending strength of the float glass used as a substrate or superstrate was analysed by applying four-point bending tests. As the direct use of full-size photovoltaic-coated glass sheets as samples would simplify quality control by the manufacturers, the dimensions of the specimens were modified with respect to the existing testing standard. Numerical calculations demonstrated the applicability of the test and evaluation procedures when the larger specimen width was used. For both types of investigated thin-film PV technology, edge ablation was determined to cause a slight reduction in the bending strength. The specimens tested still met the minimum values for float glass. The thesis contributes to knowledge on the mechanical performance of photovoltaic modules that are required for use as construction products. In addition, recommendations on the specific design and planning tasks for building-integrated photovoltaics were developed to promote a holistic and interdisciplinary planning and construction process.

Med ett alltmer miljömedvetet samhälle finner vi idag ett ökande intresse för tillämpningen av effektiva energiförsörjningssystem. Ett av tillvägagångssätten för detta är att utnyttja solenergi, vilket möjliggörs med solceller. Solceller kan kortfattat beskrivas som en komponent vilket syftar i att omvandla solenergi till elektricitet. Denna teknik har på senare år blivit ett incitament för byggherrar att uppnå kraven för diverse miljöcertifieringar, där solceller används som byggnadsmaterial vid nyproduktion och renoveringar. De konstruktioner där solceller har använts brukar gemensamt kallas för solcellsanläggningar, beroende på solcellstyp kan dessa delas in i byggnadsapplicerade (BAPV) och byggnadsintegrerade (BIPV). Med hjälp av litteraturstudier, fallstudier, intervjuer samt workshop och observationer har det utförts en undersökning med fokus på byggnadsintegrerade solceller (BIPV). Undersökningen verkställdes med avsikten att granska den potentiella utsträckningen som byggnadsintegrerade solceller kan implementeras inom transportsektorns nyproduktion. Avhandlingens huvudsakliga mål är att förse uppdragsgivaren med förslag på tillämpningsområden för byggnadsintegrerade solceller till nyproduktion, där eventuella hänsyn har tagits till byggteknik och arkitektur. Dessutom menar rapporten att bidra till bildningen av en uppfattning kring solceller som byggnadsmaterial. Resultatet som påvisades från undersökningen är att det finns möjligheter för BIPV att implementeras i anläggningskonstruktioner inom transportsektorn. Bland dessa konstruktioner är bullerskärmar och teknikhus för järnvägar. Dessutom konstateras att de byggtekniska faktorer som bör beaktas vid nyproduktion med BIPV är orientering och lutning, likaså skuggning och ventilation. För arkitektoniska faktorer gäller att konstruktionen är estetiskt tilltalande, har en god komposition med färg och material, passar det synliga rutnätets motiv, den är kontextualiserad och väl projekterad samt att den har en innovativ design. I avhandlingen framkommer även möjligheter och hinder vid projektering med solceller. Resultaten visar att möjligheterna för BIPV är förutom att den utgör ett byggnadsskal, så har den även en energiavkastning till skillnad från traditionella byggnadsmaterial. Dessutom är BIPV ett ekonomiskt och ekologiskt hållbart alternativ. De identifierade hindren relaterar till aktörers brist på kunskap i solcellstekniken, vilket försvårar deras arbeten. Studiens slutsats är att det finns en potential att implementera solcellstekniken i Sverige, dock är den mer lönsam för större anläggningskonstruktioner. Då bullerskärmar och teknikhus förekommer kontinuerligt längs svenska motor-och järnvägar ses detta som ett incitament till att integrera dessa med solceller. Slutsatsen är även att vissa hinder som uppstår vid produktion och underhåll kan undvikas redan vid projekteringsskedet. / With a society that is becoming more environmentally conscious, we now find a growing interest in the application of efficient energy supply systems. One of the approaches for this is to utilize solar energy, which is possible with photovoltaics (PV) also known as solar cells. PV can briefly be described as a component which aims to convert solar energy into electricity. This technology has in recent years been an incentive for constructions companies and project owners to achieve the requirements for various environmental certifications. Photovoltaic technology can be used in building materials for new productions or renovations. Building structures where PV has been utilized are commonly referred to as solar systems. Depending on the solar cell type, these can be divided into building applied photovoltaics (BAPV) and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). With the help of literature research, interviews, case studies as well as workshop and observations, a study has been carried out which focuses on building integrated photovoltaic. The study was conducted with the intention to examine the potential extent that building integrated photovoltaics can be implemented in the transport sectors new production. The main aim of the dissertation is to provide with proposals for areas of application for BIPV, where construction technology and architecture is specifically taken into consideration. This dissertation also intends to contribute to the formation of an idea of photovoltaics as a building material. The result shown by the study is that there are opportunities for BIPV to be implemented in the transport sectors production of new constructions. Among these constructions are noise barriers and service houses for railways. In addition, it is noted that factors which regard PV building technology are orientation and tilt as well as shading and ventilation. The architectural factor that are considered when designing with BIPV is that the design of the construction needs to be aesthetically appealing, have a good composition with color and material, suitable with the visible grid's theme, it also needs to be contextualized and carefully planned. It is also required for BIPV constructions to have an innovative design. The dissertation also reveals possibilities and obstacles when designing with solar cells. The results show that the promises for BIPV come in the form of economic and ecological sustainability. The identified barriers relate to lack of knowledge in solar technology, which complicates the work of the involved operatives. The study's conclusion is that there is a potential for implementing PV technology in Sweden, but it is more profitable for larger constructions. However noise barriers and service houses for railways, occur continuously along Swedish roads and railways, therefore they are large in quantity. The large quantity of these constructions should be an incentive to implement BIPV in these constructions. In addition, it is stated that certain obstacles arising from production and maintenance can be avoided as early as in the design stage.