Abstract
This paper presents the impact on energy performance and visual comfort of retrofitting photovoltaic integrated shading devices (PVSDs) to the facade of a prototype office building in a hot desert climate. EnergyPlus (TM) and the DIVA-for-Rhino (c) plug-ins were used to perform numerical simulations and parametric analyses examining the energy performance and visual comfort of five configurations, namely: (1) inclined single panel PVSDs, (2) unfilled eggcrate PVSDs, (3) a louvre PVSD of ten slats tilted 30 degrees outward, (4) a louvre PVSD of five slats tilted 30 degrees outward, and (5) an STPV module with 20% transparency which were then compared to a reference office building (ROB) model. The field measurements of an off-grid system at various tilt angles provided an optimum tilt angle of 30 degrees. A 30 degrees tilt was then integrated into some of the PVSD designs. The results revealed that the integration of PVSDs significantly improved overall energy performance and reduced glare. The unfilled eggcrate PVSD did not only have the highest conversion efficiency at x235; 20% but generated extra energy as well; an essential feature in the hot desert climate of Saudi Arabia.