A holistic assessment of the role of building-integrated photovoltaic systems in the electrification and decarbonization of buildings

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In Canada, residential and commercial buildings, and passenger vehicles are accountable for nearly 40% of secondary energy use and GHG emissions. The country is gradually transitioning toward electrification and decarbonization of the building and transportation sectors. Distributed energy resource technologies - specifically building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), smart heat pumps (HP) and electric vehicles (EV) - can significantly contribute to this transition. The short term research objective - the focus of this proposal - is to apply a diverse research toolkit (modelling, simulation and experimental studies) to quantify the energy and environmental impact of combining BIPV with smart HP and EV. The scope of this proposal targets commercial and residential buildings. The proposed research involves a year-long experimental study of nine key BIPV photovoltaic system configurations. As a first step, a new experimental method for the determination of the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of BIPV windows will be developed. The new experimental method will use thermistor based pyranometers in order to overcome inaccuracies associated to standard procedures involving calorimetric measurements. Next, the SHGC measurements and the experimental performance data of the nine BIPV configurations will be used to develop parametric, hybrid BIPV models. Models will also be developed for smart HP, EV, and commercial and residential buildings based on (1) existing literature and (2) publicly available databases. All models will be "wrapped" under one comprehensive metamodel creating a co-simulation platform. Using an agent based modelling approach, all actions and interactions between the models and the power grid will be captured. Finally, the co-simulation platform will be used to study and assess the combined effect all these emerging technologies have on building energy and associated GHG emissions, in the Canadian context. Solution sets will be produced based on key performance indicators. The optimized solution sets will provide a clearer picture of the potential environmental and energy use benefits of BIPV systems, smart HP and EV. The above research will be led by the applicant and executed by 9.5 equivalent highly qualified personnel (HQP), including 3.5 equivalent PhD, 3 master's, and 2 undergraduate students. Trainees will gain significant experience with: (1) experimental measurement methods, (2) building performance modelling and simulations, and (3) fundamentals in energy, heat transfer and building controls; all of which are highly desired by industry and government. The research results will have the potential to greatly impact the thousands of new and existing Canadian buildings that will need to meet future low energy, low emission performance requirements. It is expected that the outcomes of the proposed research will show environmental and economic benefits that extend well beyond the boundaries of the building itself.