India’s geographical location renders it with ample solar-energy potential ranging from 4-7 kWh/m2 daily and 2,300–3,200 sunshine hours annually. The diverse nature of human settlements (scattered low-rise to dense high-rise) in India is one of the unexplored avenues of harnessing solar energy through electricity generation using photovoltaic (PV) technology. Solar energy is a promising alternative that carries adequate potential to support the growing energy demands of India’s burgeoning population. A previous study estimates, by the year 2070, with 425 million households (of which utilizing only 20 %), about 90 TWh of electrical energy can be generated utilizing solar energy. PV is viable for onsite distributed (decentralized) power generation offering advantages of size and scale variability, modularity, relatively low maintenance and integration into buildings (no additional demand land). The application of solar PV technology as the building envelope viz., walls, façade, fenestration, roof and skylights is termed Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV). Apart from generating electricity, PV has to also function as a building envelope, which makes BIPV systems unique. Even with a gradual rise in the number of BIPV installations across the world over the years, a common consensus on their evaluation has not yet been developed. Unlike PV in a ground mounted system, its application in buildings as an envelope has huge implications on both PV and building performance. The functions of PV as a building material translates well beyond electricity generation alone and would also have to look into various aspects like the thermal comfort, weather proofing, structural rigidity, natural lighting, thermal insulation, shading, noise protection safety and aesthetics. To integrate PV into a residential building successfully serving the purpose (given the low energy densities of PV and initial cost), would also mean considering factors like the buildings electricity requirement and economic viability. As many studies have revealed, 40% of electricity consumed in a building is utilized for maintaining indoor thermal comfort. Tropical regions, such as India, are generally characterized by high temperatures and humidity attributed to good sunlight, therefore, the externality considered for this study has been the impact of BIPV on the thermal comfort. Passive designs need to regulate the buildings solar exposure by integrating a combination of appropriate thermal massing, material selection, space orientation and natural ventilation. On the other hand, PV design primarily aims to maximize solar to generate maximum energy. The design requirements for climate-responsive building design may thus infringe upon those required for optimal PV performance. Regulating indoor thermal comfort in tropical regions poses a particular challenge under such conditions, as the indoor temperature is likely to be sensitive to external temperature variations. In addition, given current performance efficiencies for various PVs, high initial cost and space requirement, it is also crucial to ascertain PV’s ability to efficiently support buildings energy requirement. Thus, BIPV would require addressing, concurrently, design requirements for energy-efficient building performance, effective PV integration, and societal feasibility. A real time roof integrated BIPV system (5.25 kW) installed at the Center for Sustainable Technologies at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has been studied for its PV and building thermal performance. The study aims at understanding a BIPV system (based on crystalline silicon) from the technical (climate-responsiveness and PV performance), social (energy requirement and energy efficiency) and economical (costs and benefits) grounds and identifies relevant factors to quantify performance of any BIPV system. A methodology for BIPV evaluation has been proposed (Integrability Methodology), especially for urban localities, which can also be adopted for various PV configurations, building typologies and climatic zones. In the process, a novel parameter (thermal comfort energy) to evaluate the thermal performance of naturally ventilated buildings combining climate-responsiveness and thermal comfort aspects has also been developed. An Integrability Index has also been devised, integrating various building performance factors, to evaluate and compare the performance of BIPV structures. The methodology has been applied to the 5.25 kW BIPV system and the index has been computed to be 0.17 (on a scale of 0 – 1). An insulated BIPV system (building applied photovoltaic system) has been found to be favorable for the climate of Bangalore than BIPV. BIPV systems have also been compared across three different climates (Bangalore, Shillong and Delhi) and given the consideration of the same system for comparison, the system in Delhi is predicted to have a higher Integrability than the other two systems. The current research work is a maiden effort, that aims at developing and testing a framework to evaluate BIPV systems comprising technical, social and economic factors.

In the current global market, there are plenty solutions for the savings of energy in the different areas of consumption in buildings: Green roofs and walls, cool roofs, daylighting, motion sensors, and others but there are very few sources of renewable energy at the reach of a common person in residential (smaller) scale. Photovoltaic systems are the most well-know and reliable process of harvesting energy at this small scale. The relationship between energy demand and energy production when installing a photovoltaics system in a residence is one of the main drivers while making a decision at the time of purchasing a system. However, architectural decisions in early stages may influence, enhance or even decrease the possible energy generation and interior performance, thus influencing the possible return of investment. This study evaluates the possible architectural variations that may be beneficial or disadvantegous at a particular city and other circumstances. From, roof, angle, location, roof articulation, layout articulation , shading devices and others, this paper shows a spectrum of convenient and inconvenient projects due to current conditions like climate, solar radiation, typical construction, electricity rates and government incentives. As a conclusion a hierarchy of architectural elements when being used with photovoltaics is developed to demonstrate that a common user can strategically play with architectural features of his/her house to take the most out of the system.

Today, buildings utilize 40 % of the total energy consumption. New energyrestrictions and directives have entered the construction industry. Photovoltaic is asustainable, clean and quiet solution that integrates well in the urban environment buthave not yet reached a breakthrough on the Swedish market. The conditions for solarenergy production are often set in the early planning stages where they rarely arebeing prioritized.This master of engineering project focuses on identifying problems regardingimplementation of photovoltaic in city development projects and giving suggestions topossible improvements in the planning- and construction process. It also givesrecommendations on how the conditions for energy production can be optimized inthe early zoning stage.By conducting simulations with PVsystV5.21, on three ongoing city developmentprojects in Umeå, Malmö and Stockholm and by carry out and analyzing interviewswith city planners, constructors and architects, some conclusions have been made.Several improvements, both politically, with changes in the subsidization systemand/or instatement of a new law with feed-in tariffs, and within the solar- andconstruction industry itself, with better communication between different parts of theprocess as well as better use of experience, can be made. By including photovoltaic inthe local plan it is possible to give a region large areas with orientation toward south,increasing the solar energy potential with up to 50 % which also increase themotivation for implementing photovoltaic in the project. These are essential for asignificant increase of photovoltaic in city development.

The thesis attempts to investigate the issues pertaining to design, fabrication and application of real-time adaptive systems for building envelopes, and to answer questions raised by the idea of motion in architecture. The thesis uses the Solar Decathlon Competition as a platform to base all the research and consequently to verify their applications. Photo-voltaic (PV) panels and shading devices are two different components of Georgia Institute of Technology s the Solar Decathlon House, located above the roof, that are based on the concept of Homeostasis or self-regulated optimization. For the PV panels, the objective is to optimize energy production, by controlling their movement to track the changing position of Sun, whereas, the objective for the shading devices is to reduce heating or cooling loads by controlling the position of shading devices, thus controlling direct and diffused heat gains through the roof. To achieve this adaptive feature, it required three layers of operations. First was the design of the mechanics of movement, which tried to achieve the required motion for the PV panels and shading devices by using minimum components and parameters. Second was the design of the individual parts that are consistent with the overall concept of the House. And finally, the third layer is the design of controls that automates the motion of the PV panels and Shading Devices, using a set of sensors that actuate the attached motors. As a final product, there is an attempt to integrate the precision and material efficiency of digital fabrication with the self-regulated optimization of the roof components.

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die Leistungsfähigkeit von PV-Modulen in verschiedenen Fassadensystemen und beschreibt die Entwicklung eines Fassadenpaneels für Pfosten-Riegel-Fassaden, bei welchem die Modultemperatur durch die Integration von Phasenwechselmaterialien (PCM) reguliert wird, um einen höheren Wirkungsgrad zu erzielen.

This thesis estimates the impacts of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) capacity on electricity generation and CO2 emissions in America's Pacific Northwest. The region's demand for electricity is increasing at the same time that it is attempting to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The electricity generated by rooftop PV capacity is expected to displace electricity from fossil fueled electricity generators and reduce CO2 emissions, but when and how much? And how can this region maximize and focus the impacts of additional rooftop PV capacity on CO2 emissions? To answer these questions, an hourly urban rooftop PV generation profile for 2009 was created from estimates of regional rooftop PV capacity and solar resource data. That profile was compared with the region's hourly fossil fuel generation profile for 2009 to determine how much urban rooftop PV generation reduced annual fossil fuel electricity generation and CO2 emissions. Those reductions were then projected for a range of additional multiples of rooftop PV capacity. The conclusions indicate that additional rooftop PV capacity in the region primarily displaces electricity from natural gas generators, and shows that the timing of rooftop PV generation corresponds with the use of fossil fuel generators. Each additional Wp/ capita of rooftop PV capacity reduces CO2 emissions by 9,600 to 7,300 tons/ year. The final discussion proposes some methods to maximize and focus rooftop PV impacts on CO2 emissions, and also suggests some questions for further research.

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die Leistungsfähigkeit von PV-Modulen in verschiedenen Fassadensystemen und beschreibt die Entwicklung eines Fassadenpaneels für Pfosten-Riegel-Fassaden, bei welchem die Modultemperatur durch die Integration von Phasenwechselmaterialien (PCM) reguliert wird, um einen höheren Wirkungsgrad zu erzielen.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Solar energy development is experiencing significant growth due to national interest in increasing energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing domestic energy production, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Northern Cape is generally known to be one of the preferred areas for the generation of solar energy in South Africa, and even in the world, due to its abundant solar radiation. Although this area has abundant potential for solar power generation, not all the areas are suitable for construction of solar plant facilities especially those that are prone to sand storm and dust accumulation. Consequently, site evaluation is very crucial for planning, design and construction of the solar facility. The main objective of this study was to determine the suitability of a proposed site at Kakamas in the Northern Cape for construction of a photovoltaic solar facility. The specific objectives of this research were to assess and establish all the geotechnical aspects that may have an impact on the development of the site, to explore the surface conditions at the proposed site and to establish the soil properties and comment on the use of the on-site soils in the construction of the solar facility. Other specific objectives included to determine the variability of ground conditions and effects of such variability on the proposed development and to provide foundation recommendations for the design and construction of the solar facility. In order to obtain this information, methods such as desktop studies, geological survey, soil survey, magnetic survey and soil profiling were employed to obtain information about the geotechnical aspects of the study area and properties of the on-site soil. Field tests such as cone penetration and resistivity survey and laboratory tests such as foundation indicator test, California Bearing Ratio, pH and permeability test were also performed in order to determine the engineering, behavioral and hydraulic properties of the soil. The results of the geologic and magnetic survey indicated that the study area is underlain by mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, quartzite, pegmatite, gneiss and calcrete. The results of the soil profiling and the resistivity survey showed that the study area is comprised of sandy soil with either two or three horizons while the cone penetration results revealed high variable soil consistency and stiffness which ranged from very loose to very stiff soils. The particle size distribution, atterberg limits and grading modulus indicated that the study area is characterized mainly by dry, cohesionless and non-plastic to slightly plastic coarse-grained sandy soil with sand content ranging from 71- 96%. From the CBR results, it was found that the soils in the study area generally classifies as G6 material and can be used as base, sub base and backfilling material in accordance with the TRH 14 specifications. The permeability test results indicated moderately permeable sandy silt soils with coefficient of permeability ranging between 1x10-3 to 8x10-3 cm/sec and ground water was encountered at 1.3 m depth. The material excavatability indicated variable material on site ranging from soft calcretes with soft excavation to highly competent material such as quartz and dorbank which require hard excavation while the side wall stability of trial pits indicated stable pit walls during the investigation giving an indication of stability of long pit excavations. The foundation analysis showed that driven piles and earth screws are the ideal foundation types for this site and that the site is generally suitable for construction of the solar facility provided all the recommendations are implemented. / NRF