Energy

Installations integrated in buildings

They are among the most promising applications of photovoltaic systems. These systems are installed on civil or industrial buildings in order to be connected to the national electric network. The power generated by photovoltaic modules is supplied to the internal network of the user building and, at the same time, to the public distribution network. In this way, according to the needs, it can be used by local users or supplied to the network. Photovoltaic modules can be used to cover buildings as a replacement of traditional components. With this objective, the photovoltaic and the building industry have created some architectonic modules that can be integrated with the building structure. They are more and more used on building fronts and to cover buildings. The possibility to integrate photovoltaic modules into architectures and transform them into building components has widened the range of application of the photovoltaic and architectural sector, that exploit this type of energy. A particularly interesting use consists of “photovoltaic fronts”. The modules for each front are made up of two glass sheets with silicon cells between them, and connected by resin sheets. The dimension of these modules can vary from 50x50 cm to 210x350 cm. Moreover, as the lower is the temperature of photovoltaic modules during solar irradiation, the higher the energy performance, photovoltaic fronts can be better used on “cold” areas of building fronts (parapets, lifts, and other matt surfaces) provided they are oriented towards the South-East or South-West and are not located on shady areas. The use of photovoltaic modules can be extremely useful as sun-blinds or to create shade on wide areas if they be used as a cover, i.e. as a cover for bus shelters.