| dc.description.abstract | The increasing global energy crisis
has brought about a shift towards the utilisation
of renewable energy, particularly towards
building-integrated photovoltaics. When
considering the assessment of photovoltaics (PV)
in urban regions, previous studies have focused
on methods that take into consideration the
urban block typologies, urban density, urban
compactness indicators, or urban form. However,
a requirement still exists to assess how the use of
PV in tropical regions can be optimised via the
use of facades. Coupled with the fact that semitransparent
PV implemented on windows can
perform a dual role in generating electricity
whilst minimising building cooling loads, it is
imperative to understand how urban block
typology can affect PV potential based on the
shading effects caused within the block. This
paper assesses four different urban block
typologies in the urban and climatic context of
Colombo, Sri Lanka and how they affect the total
and average solar irradiation and the total
photovoltaic generation capabilities of opaque
and semi-transparent PV installed on building
roofs and facades based on their orientation. It
was found that although facades are
unfavourably inclined towards tropical solar
irradiation, they can generate higher amounts of
electricity due to the more expansive façade area
in high-rise buildings. Further, it was established
that the building form in addition to the block
typology affects the PV generation, especially
when coupled with the building orientation, and
that this can have a significant impact on the
effectiveness of building envelopes for PV
generation. | en_US |
