HSLU advocates for greening and solar panels on building facades
Lucerne - The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) has looked into the potential for greening and solar panels installed on building facades. According to the university’s study, the two aspects can be combined effectively. The researchers also took into account the reservations of building developers.
Researchers from HSLU have explored the potential for greening and solar panels on building facades in the GreenPV project. «While the advantages of PV systems and greening are already being increasingly used on roofs, up to now they have not been used all too often on facades», as HSLU researcher Silvia Domingo explains in a press release issued by the university covering the project. Among other aspects, however, they could help to close the gap in terms of winter electricity. This is because «the energy yield of a PV system on a south-facing facade is higher in the winter than on a roof owing to the low inclination angle of the sun during these months», Domingo adds.
In addition to generating a cooling effect, green facades contribute to biodiversity and reduce the propagation of sound. Air quality is also improved by binding pollutants and producing oxygen. In the view of the HSLU researchers, greening and photovoltaics (PV) can be effectively combined when it comes to building facades. «PV is used where high energy generation is possible, i.e. on unshaded facades located on the upper floors», as Domingo explains. In contrast, greening solutions are best installed on lower floors and in courtyards.
In terms of obstacles for property developers, the authors highlight aspects such as financing and a lack of guidelines and experience. Moreover, the aesthetics of a facade completely covered in black solar panels is also not something that everyone will appreciate. With this in mind, HSLU has already tested alternative colors and textures as part of another project.
Hochschule Luzern Architektur & Technik
