Integration of Active Solar Technologies in the Historic Built Environment and Landscapes

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to submit your research results and insights to our Special Issue focusing on  integrated photovoltaics (IPV) systems in the historic built environment and landscape. Areas, urban and rural, of cultural and natural value are often exempted when it comes to the improvement in energy efficiency or the integration of renewable energy sources. This is mostly due to an outdated perception of solutions with lower efficiency and/or high impact on the conservation of the cultural and natural resources.

Nowadays, IPV systems have become increasingly more available thanks to their potential to provide a clean and cost-effective source of renewable energy without affecting the conservation of heritage values. The Interreg ITA-CH research project “BIPV meets History” created new perspectives for the supply chain of integrated photovoltaic technology applied to valuable building heritage and landscape.

This Special Issue will focus on the latest advances in IPV systems, with a particular emphasis on the topics of their design optimization, oriented to mitigation strategies of the visual impact on protected landscapes and heritage buildings. Much attention is also paid to their cost effectiveness and sustainability. We invite both theoretical and experimental studies that explore the potential of IPV in the built heritage and landscape.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and engaging in an inspiring discussion about the advancements in IPV systems.

This Special Issue is part of the project “BIPV meets History” (ID 3846141, ID 603882), operation co-financed by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund, the Italian Government, the Swiss Confederation and Cantons, as part of the Interreg V-A Italy-Switzerland Cooperation Programme.

Sincerely,

Dr. Daniel Herrera-Avellanosa
Dr. Alexandra Troi
Dr. Laura Maturi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• renewable energy
• building integrated photovoltaics
• retrofit of buildings
• protected landscape
• historic buildings
• energy efficient buildings

Title: Building-Integrated Photovoltaics in Existing Buildings: a Novel PV Roofing System
Authors: Claudio del Pero; Fabrizio Leonforte
Affiliation: Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
Abstract: Among renewable energy generation technologies, photovoltaics has a pivotal role to reach EU decarbonization goals. In particular, building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems are attracting an increasing interest since they are a fundamental element to allow buildings to abate their CO2 emissions while also performing functions typical of traditional building components, such as sealing against water. In such a context, since the main challenge to decarbonize the building sector lies in the retrofitting of existing buildings, the current paper is focused on the design, development and testing of a novel roofing PV system. The entire research was carried out as part of the Horizon 2020 HEART project. More in detail, the research, has analyzed the requirements of typical pitched tile roofs, which are currently the most common type in Europe, and has developed a universal photovoltaic tile to be easily and quickly integrated in such a type of roof. The research was also aimed at minimizing the embodied energy of the component and promote disassembly and recycling at the end of life, fully in line with a circular economy perspective. The adopted design and development processes are described in detail in the present paper, along with the results of the first tests performed on the field i.e., the case study buildings of the HEART project. In addition, further development prospectives of the component, aimed at meeting integration requirements in historic buildings, are finally presented.

Title: Balancing Aesthetics and Economics in BIPV applications: a methodology for evaluating the impact of aesthetic integration on BIPV profitability in Heritage Conservation.
Authors: Martina Pelle; Jennifer Adami; Laura Maturi; David Moser
Affiliation: Eurac Research, Italy
Abstract: This paper explores the intersection of technical, aesthetic, and economic aspects related to the implementation of integrating photovoltaic technology (BIPV) within protected architectural areas, focusing particularly on the pre-Alpine region bordering Italy and Switzerland. The study introduces a methodology to assess the profitability of BIPV, considering two integration approaches: a standard implementation emphasizing functional integration, and an innovative approach combining functional and aesthetic integration. The methodology involves the analysis of cash flows, net present value (NPV), and payback periods spanning a 25-year lifecycle of BIPV installations, considering direct economic benefits, including tax deductions, bill discounts from self-consumption, as well as incentives for collectively consumed energy within building communities. Various scenarios, encompassing diverse usage percentages of available envelope surfaces, are evaluated to optimize system sizing and profitability. The findings emphasize the pivotal role of incentives and integration levels in determining the economic viability of BIPV systems. In Italy, optimized system sizing yields a payback period of 10 to 15 years, while Swiss incentives result in shorter payback times, typically under 10 years. This underscores the significant influence of local policies and financial support on adopting sustainable technologies in building renovations. Moreover, the assessment includes the evaluation of the extra cost ascribable to the aesthetic integration, emphasizing the significance of having a larger available surface area to enhance the economic feasibility of the system. This study contributes a comprehensive economic assessment model for BIPV installations in sensitive architectural zones, highlighting the importance of regulatory frameworks and financial mechanisms in advancing renewable energy adoption within heritage buildings, aligning sustainability objectives with architectural preservation.