A study of the economic parity and energy performance of solar photovoltaic façades in the south of Brazil

Abstract

Many countries already design efficient buildings with low consumption needs, mainly through photovoltaic solar energy (PV). However, that is still considered a high-investment energy source, especially in Brazil. Nevertheless, considering that coatings can represent between 6 and 20% of the cost of a building, and assuming that they can be replaced by PV modules, it is important that this avoided cost be included in the final cost of this technology. The aim of this study is to analyse the economic parity and the energy performance of a photovoltaic solar facade (PVSF) of a commercial building, compared to one coated with usual building materials. The energy performance of the building was simulated using the EnergyPlus software and the PVSF energy generation calculation using solar radiation data by the Radiasol program. The simulation results indicated that an PVSF compared to usual façades does little to reduce building consumption. It does, however, contribute to the supply of 56.38% of that consumption. The financial analysis is based on a comparison between usual building systems and the photovoltaic solar system (PVS), with a return on the investment in, at best, 4 years.

Keywords:
Photovoltaic solar system; Computer simulation; EnergyPlus