A team at RMIT University has developed BIPV Enabler, a software to assist architects and engineers in incorporating, sourcing, and costing building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in a building’s conceptual design phase.
BIPVs are innovative features like roof tiles, cladding, and windows that can double as solar panels, covering a larger area and generating various angles of energy.
Despite its promise, conventional roof-mounted panels continue to account for most new installations in Australia, owing to the additional difficulty in estimating performance and acquiring BIPV technology.
The software, funded by RMIT and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, is the first of its sort to be created using Australian data.
Project lead Associate Professor Rebecca Yang from the Solar Energy Application Group expressed hope that the BIPV Enabler tool would aid in the greening of buildings.
“This is the perfect solution for building designers and developers looking to select the right solar option to suit their design,” Assistant Professor Yang said.
“We’re making integrated-solar a more attractive option to developers, slicing the time it would normally take to research and implement incognito solar devices,” she stated.
The tool uses product, regulation, technical, economic, and construction data to create 3D models and detailed lifecycle simulations for each building’s planned location.
It comes after the announcement last year of the construction of Australia’s first office tower entirely covered in solar panels.
BIPV Enabler aims to bridge the gap between BIPV technology and architectural design.
Architect and lecturer Nic Bao said having a tool that easily incorporates aspects like climate, building code, and materials would make solar-savvy design easier.
“There are so many technical factors to consider when integrating BIPV into a design that it hadn’t been a popular choice, which was a missed opportunity,” he stated.
BIPV Enabler provides Australia’s first photovoltaic product database, aiding designers and developers in selecting and sourcing materials for integrated solar systems.
The tool offers maps, a 3D shape library, solar visualisations, hourly weather data, pricing information for materials, and feed-in tariffs.
BIPV Enabler, according to Yang, also worked with computer-aided design programs and could be scaled and adjusted to include other open-source datasets to meet evolving needs.
“We hope to see more buildings capable of generating solar electricity, while maintaining good design standards – a win for the planet and aesthetics,” Yang said.
