PowerShade - Development of electricity-generating shading solutions for energy-flexible buildings in urban space

Status

ongoing

Summary

The fusion of intelligent shading with a cost-efficient, flexible and light PV-technology, as planned within this project, will enable resilience and more efficient buildings in a sustainable manner. This will open up areas of exploitation that would not be accessible with traditional PV concepts, and as a result, the potential for sustainable energy production in the urban space will multiply.

Thanks to the additional development and implementation of an intelligent, self-learning control system, with the aid of artificial neural networks, a balance between all kinds of aspects of building usage will be made possible. Furthermore, the influence of various scenarios and systems will be analyzed and quantified in the course of modelling and simulations to significantly contribute to a definition of even more ideal solutions.

Starting point / motivation

By the end of this century, 75 % of people will be living in cities. The need for energy will therefore become a decisive topic for urban areas. Additionally, effects of climate change such as heat waves will become drastically noticeable, predominantly in urban areas, due to the urban-heat-island effect. Energy expenditure for air-conditioning of buildings will rise dramatically.

Consequently, climate protection debates are increasingly shifting their focus on cities and their energy consumption. At the same time, there is abundant potential for energy production through integration of photovoltaics (PV) in windows and façade elements (BIPV).

In order to be able to reach Austria's energy policy goal of "100% renewable electricity generation in Austria until 2030," photovoltaics - including BIPV - will have to take over a significant portion of the power supply. An increase from the current 1.25 GW to at least about 15 GW will be necessary. This is only possible if buildings surfaces in cities are used efficiently.

Contents and goals

The main goal of the cooperative R&D project „PowerShade" is the development of low-cost and universally usable electricity-generating shading solutions for energy-flexible buildings in urban space. 

The fusion of intelligent shading with a cost-efficient, flexible and light PV-technology, as planned within this project, will enable resilience and more efficient buildings in a sustainable manner. The energy efficiency of buildings is doubly taken care of, because cooling demands will be minimized and at the same time the energy needed for the building's operation will be provided by the product itself. 

This will open up areas of exploitation that would not be accessible with traditional PV concepts, and as a result, the potential for sustainable energy production in the urban space will multiply.

Methods

The integration of photovoltaics in such products poses great challenges on the comprised PV technology. The crystalsol technology offers the ideal prerequisites: flexible, lightweight, with almost unlimited possibilities in design and a very cost-efficient R2R production process. 

In the course of this project, specific requirements for performance, durability and appearance of the modules in such applications will be examined closely, and the technology will be developed further so that the requirements for efficient and durable systems are matched perfectly. User comfort such as receiving more daylight, glare protection, passive temperature regulation through a solar heat input or minimizing the cooling load by shading, photovoltaic power production and energy demand shall thus be kept in balance in regard of various aspects.

Thanks to the additional development and implementation of an intelligent, self-learning control system, with the aid of artificial neural networks, a balance between all kinds of aspects of building usage will be made possible. Furthermore, the influence of various scenarios and systems will be analyzed and quantified in the course of modelling and simulations to significantly contribute to a definition of even more ideal solutions.

Expected results

The expected result of the project are feasibility-tested functional models of the electricity-generating shading solution on a laboratory scale as well as the verification of the research results with function tests under simulated operating conditions in laboratory as well as under application oriented conditions.

Project management

University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, Competence Area Renewable Energy Systems

Project or cooperation partners

• HELLA Sonnen- und Wetterschutztechnik GmbH
• Institute of Computer Technology at TU Wien

University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien
Competence Area Renewable Energy Systems
Kurt Leonhartsberger, MSc.
Standort ENERGYbase
Giefinggasse 6
A-1200 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (664) 619 25 86
E-mail: kurt.leonhartsberger@technikum-wien.at
Web: www.technikum-wien.at